Modular Buildings - suitable for health use?

[The Don of Croy]

This comes to mind when we get the (not unusual) planning argument over a new doctors surgery. The practice has to find a suitable site and then design whatever will fit to suit their needs.

Is there not a way of producing a modular surgery? Rather like when a new McDonalds is delivered off the back of a lorry, partially kitted out, quick and easy build and presumably screwed down to a good price.

For a new doctors surgery they seem to have to design it from scratch (nice for architects etc but surely expensive?) or adapt another building (hardly the best way).

To be pragmatic, why not agree a standard layout (scaleable according to local catchment), and then have special planning rules to allow such a use for - say 40 years - on greenfield land.

It just seems odd for all the added pox when most communities would presumably want (or perhaps demand) the best facility available, with parking, that could be added at one end of town / village.

Am I barking?

[The Don of Croy]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

But if McDonalds works on this principle, surely they don't cost so much?

We are talking doctors surgery here - not a mobile Moorfields Eye Hospital.

[The Don of Croy]

jules_s said:

I've looked into modular at some depth in the last 12 months or so....at the moment i would say the companys offering this 'service' simply don't/can't offer the turn key solution thay claim to be able to. If the building is nice and square/rectangular maybe; anything else they just don't want to know

Also the mcDonalds of this world usually use a 'modular' solution on a dead flat site with easy access to it...the likes of LA projects aren't afforded that sort of luxury. More often it's the stty piece of land that the developer has left over that they can't viably build houses on

I'm glad someone else has looked at it.

Given the straightened times we are approaching, and the need for better / more accessible health care, then I would promote the use of a standardised solution. I was thinking of rural / semi rural communities where land is available, but outside the building envelope. Currently each and every surgery is a unique development, and I imagine the cost per sq ft is much greater than it needs to be.