business | on the road
Caring Times on the road This month, Caring Times features editor Charlotte Goddard visited Signature’s Hendon Hall, and learned how its award-winning design combines period features with the latest innovations.
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ighteenth century Grade II listed Hendon Manor, which hosted the England football team before its 1966 World Cup victory, opened in January this year as Signature Senior Lifestyle’s latest luxury care home. A dramatic columned portico leads to a space resembling a high-end hotel, with stylish communal spaces including a café complete with baby grand piano, a finedining restaurant, World Cup-themed Bar 66, stately private dining space and 1930s-style cinema which doubles as a multi-faith room. “There’s a fine balance to be struck between making you feel it is glamorous enough that you are not downgrading your lifestyle, but welcoming and homely enough to feel it is a long-term stay,” said Anna Ramsden, head of design at Signature Senior Lifestyle. “We want people to feel like they are having the time of their life in their latter years, rather than how people picture it when they go into a care home.” Signature at Hendon Hall also features an emporium with hair salon, nail bar and treatment rooms and a ‘potting shed’, lined with trugs and twine, where residents can get their hands dirty in the garden. Furniture and furnishings must be both beautiful and functional. “We want hotel-style glamour but the fabrics we use have antimicrobial benefits, are cleanable and can cope with various uses,” said Ramsden.
advantage of historical elements such as stained glass windows rescued from the hotel’s lavatories and wrought iron gates set into the brickwork. Kicking-off in September 2019, much of the build took place during the pandemic, so took slightly longer than planned due to supply delays and labour shortages. Signature is owned by Canadian care home provider Revera, and the multimillion-pound build was funded by private equity. The team worked with architectural firm PRP, building company Farrans Construction and interior design consultancy Leisure Concepts. The layout of the home The older part of the home houses the communal spaces, as well as an impressive bay-fronted staffroom. Most bedrooms are in the modern wings to provide lift access, wetrooms, and other essential care elements. Services including laundry facilities and a large plant room are housed in the former underground car park, while
the provisions staff need to support residents have been located throughout the home. “We ensure staff never have too far to go for facilities such as sluice rooms and hoist stores so the homes can run efficiently,” said Ramsden, whose sister is a care worker. “If the staff have to walk three floors to find the nearest sluice room it makes their job harder.” The old coaching arch has been incorporated into the design with large arched windows on two levels, giving passers-by the same view of the grand portico as they had before. On the first floor a library is one of many areas inspired by the home’s history. Aeroplanes etched onto the window and a desk in the shape of a plane wing refer to Hendon’s RAF connections. Feedback from local consultations resulted in the inclusion of a ‘village hall’, which has separate access and can be closed off from the home, or used for residents’ activities. “We wanted to be able to bring neighbours into our community should the times allow that,”
Design and build Signature is keen to build homes that allow its well-heeled clientele to remain within their existing neighbourhoods, but it can be tricky to find suitable sites. When North London-based Hendon Hall became available it was the perfect location, but there were challenges involved around introducing modern systems such as ventilation and air conditioning. Listed buildings can offer unwelcome surprises – builders uncovered damage from a 1920s fire for example – but also beautiful design features. Quirky areas have taken 18 | DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023
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