Case study CAMHS Red Kite View Case Study

Red Kite View is a new 22-bedroomed children and young people’s mental health in-patient service located at the site of St Mary’s Hospital in Armley, Leeds. The facility comprises a 16-bedroomed general adolescent ward, a six-bedroomed psychiatric intensive care unit, and a CAMHS S136 unit, providing much needed support for West Yorkshire.

Located on a heavily wooded site, the form of the building is designed to meander like a river through a forest. The building wraps around central courtyards to provide dedicated access to garden spaces at all time. Next to the building are large gardens used for exercise, games, therapies, family visits, pet visits, and outdoor classwork.

Two complementary Forterra bricks were chosen for the development. Forterra’s Ecostock Carsington Cream, an earthy buff brick, was chosen for the external walls from ground level up to a datum of +450mm to create a plinth for the building to sit on. This allows the building to be nestled into the hillside surrounded by woodland. Above this, Forterra’s Ecostock Kensington Cream, a smoother, buff brick was used to give a cleaner appearance for the main mass of the building.