ACA Completes Refurbishment of Phoenix High Dependency Rehabilitation Unit for RDaSH

Alessandro Caruso Architects Ltd (ACA) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the refurbishment of the Phoenix High Dependency Rehabilitation Unit (HDRU), delivered on behalf of Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH). The newly refurbished facility is now operational and welcoming its first patients.

The HDRU is a specialised, mental health inpatient service providing intensive, rehabilitation for individuals with complex, severe or enduring mental health needs. The refurbishment has created a safe, therapeutic and recovery-focused environment designed to support patients during extended stays and encourage long-term wellbeing.

ACA provided architectural, interior design and CDM & Building Regulations Principal Designer services for the scheme. The £1.5 million project was delivered within just seven months, meeting an ambitious programme driven by urgent service requirements.

Working within a live mental health environment required careful coordination and a sensitive design approach. The refurbishment balances therapeutic design principles with robust anti-ligature, safety and durability requirements to ensure the environment supports both clinical care and patient recovery.

The Trust’s Estates Team commented:

“Due to the overriding patient and service need this project had to be delivered within a tight timescale and budget. The open and collaborative approach with all stakeholders has been key to the project’s success in achieving the Trust vision, to provide a superb facility in line with the Trust’s estates and service strategies. The delivery model integrated estates, clinical leadership, governance and specialist suppliers, ensuring alignment between operational requirements and design intent.”

Contractor O&P Construction Services Ltd also reflected positively on the collaborative nature of the project. Robert M Mitchell FCIOB, Construction Director at O&P Construction Services Ltd, said:

“O&P Construction Services Ltd were proud to work alongside ACA on the refurbishment of Coral Lodge for RDaSH. ACA demonstrated a strong understanding of the complexities of delivering improvements within a live mental health environment, balancing therapeutic design principles with robust anti-ligature, safety and durability requirements. Their designs were both clinically informed and practical to deliver, supporting a safe and recovery-focused setting for service users.

Throughout the project, ACA maintained a collaborative and solution-focused approach, working closely with our team and Trust stakeholders to resolve challenges efficiently and maintain quality standards. Their commitment to service user wellbeing and long-term outcomes contributed significantly to the successful transformation of the facility and we would welcome the opportunity to work with them again on future mental health schemes.”

Feedback from clinical teams and service users has also been highly positive. Services commented that they “really love the design, colour scheme and use of space” and expressed interest in returning with their estates team to learn from the project.

Clinicians have highlighted that the refurbished HDRU offers a warm and welcoming environment that feels more homely than institutional, reflecting the longer stays that patients may experience. The refurbishment has been described as one of the best they have seen, with well-considered bedrooms and furniture that makes excellent use of the available space.

The Phoenix HDRU refurbishment demonstrates ACA’s expertise in designing mental health environments that carefully balance safety, durability and therapeutic design. The project reflects the practice’s continued commitment to creating spaces that support recovery while meeting complex clinical and operational requirements.

ACA is a multidisciplinary architectural practice known for its expertise in healthcare, wellbeing and community design. With a vision centred on human experience, the firm has delivered transformative projects across the UK, pioneering evidence-based, sustainable and compassionate design solutions.