Diving Diseases Research Centre

Project

Diving Diseases Research Centre

Location

Plymouth

Client

DDRC Healthcare

Contract

£3.6m

Duration

56 weeks

Project Description

DDRC Healthcare, originally the Diving Diseases Research Centre, is a world-renowned medical charity and hyperbaric specialist facility based on Plymouth Science Park in Derriford, Plymouth. It is one of the only 10 hyperbaric facilities in the UK providing 24/7 emergency Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), and is a vital asset for the global diving community and the NHS.

The centre is home to Devon and Cornwall’s most technically advanced £1.3m CT scanner. Classic Builders was appointed to extend the existing centre and create a new unit to house the client-sourced specialist scanner and expand regional medical, research and training capabilities. The project was made possible through collaboration between DDRC Healthcare, the University of Plymouth and the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

The expanded facilities accommodate the University of Plymouth’s human neuroimaging facility (the Brain Research and Imaging Centre (BRIC)), provide improved facilities for DDRC patients and increase their capabilities for training for the offshore and maritime industries.

Works included the strip-out of areas on multiple floors of the existing building, site clearance, a reduce level dig, installation of pad stones, the erection of a steel frame extension, installation of new walls, roof, floors, glazing and cladding. The entire extension was designed to safely house the scanner.

Sourced directly by the client, the scanner was precisely lowered through the building by a crane and installed on the ground floor. The two floors above are home to a vast M&E installation serving the highly complex scanner, neurological and haematology assessment facilities, teaching spaces and advanced assessment wards.

Additional works included creating a patient’s entrance way, waiting areas, a gimble-mounted articulated assessment suite and consultation rooms, including motor skills analysis and pain monitoring resources. Following research and consultation with specialists, the team installed lead-lining on the walls, as well as a robust cooling package taking into consideration associated highly influential magnetic field generated from the scanner, once in situ. Following research and consultation with specialists, the team installed lead-lining on the walls, as well as a robust cooling package taking into consideration associated highly influential magnetic field generated from the scanner, once in situ.

Close collaboration with the client and building users was paramount,  while working adjacent to the live health facility.

The completed facility seamlessly accommodates the scanner alongside advanced assessment wards and training suites, providing an invaluable, future-proof asset for the NHS, the maritime industry, and global research communities.