RNID Specialist Mental Health Unit, London EC1

The project was for a new-build residential facility for deaf and hard of hearing people with mental health problems. There was a mix of individual space (independent living units with their own small kitchens), community space (communal kitchen, living areas) and therapeutic space (therapy rooms, gardens).

The aim of the design was to create an environment that supported service users in order that they could each live as independent a life as possible. The mass of the building was broken down into units comparable with individual residential properties. These were arranged around a central communal external space and staggered to maximise the penetration of sunlight into individual gardens.