Budimex delivers the first psychiatric hospital in post-war Poland
This is the most modern facility in Poland for people with mental health disorders. The seven-segment building contains nine specialised wards, a modern rehabilitation centre, 300 beds and areas for patients to relax and practice sports. For this project, which was partly funded by its investor, the government of the Mazovian Province, Budimex has implemented ecological solutions and provided a modern design, taking care of even the smallest of finishing details. The construction works took three years, for a project worth over PLN 104 million.
“Our project is the first newly-built psychiatric hospital in post-war Poland, which is why the expectations towards us have been really high. I think we have succeeded in satisfying them. After all, we managed to deliver the shell of the building in just 180 days. Further stages of the project covered intense and wide-ranging finishing works. This is the most modern psychiatric hospital today in Poland, and one of the most modern in Europe,” says Dariusz Blocher, President of Budimex S.A.
An intensive start to the construction works
The construction works on the “Drewnica” Mazovian Provincial Hospital began on 24 February 2015. As many as 400 people have been involved throughout the three years which it took to complete. The building is composed of seven segments, with a total area of 22,000 sq. m. It will include a modern rehabilitation centre, with rooms for patients to engage in music and movement activities, therapeutic rooms, a clinic and 300 beds. What is important is that the patients will be under the care of not just psychiatrists but also of specialists in other medical fields, including gynaecologists, urologists, eye specialists and neurologists.
Right from the very start, the construction works were carried out at a very high level of quality, such as using as much as five kilometres worth of columns to reinforce the building’s foundations. Many of the other figures are also impressive. “The construction of the ‘Drewnica’ Mazovian Provincial Hospital in Ząbki involved 25,000 cubic metres of concrete just for the structural elements, 1,500 tonnes of reinforcing steel to reinforce them and 500,000 bricks to create the walls,” says Piotr Kurowicki, Contract Manager at Budimex. Works on the building shell took about half a year, and completing them allowed Budimex to start the finishing works.
Granite floors and modern design
The finishing works involved, among other things, the installation of sanitary and electric systems, specialist flooring and wall elements. “The hospital is not merely functional and perfectly connected. It is also very modern in terms of its design. The granite floor and the glass finishing elements, the furniture that suits the style and the latest generation of medical equipment all contribute to the European level of this institution’s interior and its visual aspects,” says Dariusz Blocher.
The whole building is complemented by a thoroughly landscaped outdoor space – with 10 hectares of green areas. The pathways and avenues are enriched with over 23,000 plants, for a floral contribution to the patients’ therapy and relaxation. The patients will also be able to enjoy the hospital’s winter garden. The premises also feature spaces and areas for integration, relaxation and sports activities, including a chess room and a table tennis room. The main integration spot is the arbour, where different sessions or meetings can be organised.
The ecological nature of the investment
The hospital in Ząbki is also unique in terms of its technological solutions, which aim to facilitate the work of the staff. “One example is the automatic pharmacy system, which consists of a central module and decentralised cabinets. This supports the control and distribution of medicine throughout the entire hospital,” says Piotr Kurowicki.
The institution makes use of ecological solutions: renewable energy sources in the shape of water and air systems, such as heat pumps and solar thermal collectors, help to reduce water heating costs by as much as 50%.
“The construction of this hospital is yet another investment in the medical sector for which we have been comprehensively responsible, from the construction works to the furnishings. Such projects are significant for us, because apart from the challenge they pose, they are desperately needed by society. They serve the needs of the regional and even the national public. We are proud to have succeeded once more, and to have created such a modern institution,” says Dariusz Blocher.
The project is valued at over PLN 104 million, with 95 million obtained from EU funds and 13 million from the state budget. The hospital is one of the largest investments carried out by the Mazovian Province’s local government.