This development in Bideford made use of a tight site near the town centre.
Highwood Care Home provides Residential Care, Dementia Care, Nursing Care and Respite Care, with 67 bedrooms and en-suite shower rooms, meeting 36% of the shortfall in local care provision.
The site had an existing derelict building which was found to offer potential bat habitat, including the discovery of a horseshoe bat. To mitigate this a free standing bat roosting building was built prior to demolition of the existing building.
The Bat House provides habitats suitable for pipistrelle, horseshoe and other bats, with hot pockets in the roof, waney edge boarding to allow grip, and a cellar for stable hibernation conditions.
The estuary setting in Devon provided inspiration for the Care Home’s style and materials palette, with a mix of cast stone and self-coloured boarding giving a bright façade and welcoming appearance.
There are three main floors of residential accommodation, including bedrooms, day lounges, dining, café, quiet rooms, cinema and activity spaces. With Bideford stepping down towards the waterfront the rooms have views towards the River and Torridge Valley. The day spaces open onto landscaped gardens, and a large roof terrace provides extra outdoor space and sunny views.
Locating the service wing in a basement area kept the functional areas of kitchen and laundry away from the main residential spaces, while using lightwells to provide natural daylight for staff.
Care was taken to create a private, quiet place to live while still being very close to the life of the town. The mature trees to the High Street were preserved and enhanced with new underplanting. Distances to neighbours avoid overlooking and maintain privacy.
The construction method took account of the site constraints and the need for creating the basement excavation. An existing mineshaft was identified on record information, and this was located, stabilised and capped.
We were so impressed with the building, decor and feel of Highwood, especially the attention to detail. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed, and everyone was supportive, caring and considerate.
