Topic Awards, Health
Date 03 Jun 2025
必赢体育app中国官方网站's Silverwood mental health inpatient facility at St Peter鈥檚 Hospital in Chertsey, was highly commended in the 鈥楽ervice User Engagement鈥� and 鈥楢rts installation of the Year鈥� category at this year鈥檚 Design in Mental Health (DIMH) Awards.
Built by 必赢体育app中国官方网站鈥檚 Building Southern business for Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the Silverwood facility replaces the old Abraham Cowley Unit (ACU) and has been designed in partnership with people who have lived experience of using mental health services.
Throughout the project, service users actively contributed by attending meetings to assist the clinical team in refining operational procedures and design elements. Staff training was co-created and delivered by experts with lived experience to help nurture the positive culture envisioned for Silverwood.
In addition, the project team facilitated a sleepover where over 60 people attended including staff, members of the design and build team and service users to experience an overnight stay to stress test the facilities before opening and to experience the facility as a service user would.
The 鈥榃andering through nature under the stars鈥� artwork at Silverwood, created by biophilic artist Kate Bond, has also earned a commendation in the Arts Installation of the Year category. Spanning 17 walls, the installation stretches from the entrance corridor through key circulation areas and into each of the four ward lounges. Inspired by a nature walk through the local landscape, the piece was developed through extensive research and meaningful community engagement.
The Silverwood mental health facility features state-of-the-art amenities, including four new wards, all equipped with single en-suite bedrooms and. Each ward benefits from its own dedicated garden, a woodland area for supervised walks, enhanced entertainment systems, as well as music, therapy, sensory rooms, and a gym.
Laura Hodgetts, Health Director for 必赢体育app中国官方网站, said: 鈥淚nvolving service users throughout the entire process from design to testing, has allowed us to create a space that truly supports wellbeing in every sense at Silverwood mental health facility. This recognition highlights the importance of collaboration, creativity and empathy when it comes to advancing mental health care.鈥�