New Farm Care Home - Baldock Hertfordshire

Feb 27, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Jul 27

Delivering a Specialist Care Facility Through Technical Coordination and Value Engineering

Harvey Electrical was appointed by Ei Projects to deliver the complete electrical installation as part of the refurbishment and conversion of New Farm, a former domestic property, into a specialist residential care facility under the Hertfordshire County Council Framework.

Working alongside Playle & Partners, the project required extensive refurbishment and reconfiguration to create a safe, compliant environment for vulnerable residents. Following the initial strip-out, significant structural defects were identified, requiring substantial redesign and close coordination between the design team, structural engineers and specialist contractors.

This project demonstrates Harvey Electrical's ability to support complex refurbishment projects through technical coordination, value engineering and specialist healthcare installations, ensuring programme continuity despite evolving project requirements.

The Challenge

The discovery of extensive structural deterioration fundamentally changed the project's scope. Significant elements of the existing building required redesign, requiring the electrical installation to evolve alongside the structural solution without compromising programme or budget.

Alongside these challenges, the facility was required to meet stringent care sector standards, incorporating specialist anti-ligature and anti-barricade principles throughout the building.

Key project challenges included:

Coordinating electrical installations alongside extensive structural alterations.
Supporting ongoing design development following intrusive investigations.
Integrating specialist anti-ligature electrical equipment throughout the facility.
Delivering compliant life safety systems suitable for a residential care environment.
Coordinating multiple trades within a continually evolving programme.
Maintaining cost certainty through practical engineering and value engineering solutions.

Harvey Electrical's Solution

Harvey Electrical worked collaboratively with Ei Projects, Playle & Partners and the wider design team to develop coordinated electrical solutions that responded to the changing project requirements while maintaining programme objectives.

Design Development & Technical Coordination

Design reviews following structural investigations.
Technical coordination with consultants and specialist subcontractors.
Value engineering to maintain commercial viability.
Buildability advice throughout delivery.

Specialist Care Environment

Anti-ligature electrical accessories.
Anti-barricade compliant installations.
Nurse call infrastructure.
Access control and life safety systems.

Electrical Infrastructure

New electrical distribution.
Complete electrical installation.
Energy-efficient LED lighting.
Small power and containment systems.
Structured data infrastructure.

Commissioning & Handover

Inspection, testing and commissioning.
NICEIC certification.
O&M documentation.
Client demonstrations.
Successful project handover.

Commercial Project Delivery in Action

Projects within the healthcare sector require careful coordination between technical disciplines, specialist manufacturers and the wider construction team.

At New Farm, Harvey Electrical played an active role in supporting the project's evolving design, providing practical engineering input, coordinating specialist installations and contributing to value engineering decisions that maintained both programme and budget.

This collaborative approach enabled the delivery of a technically compliant care facility while successfully responding to unforeseen structural challenges encountered during construction.

The Outcome

New Farm has been successfully transformed into a modern specialist care facility that meets the operational, safety and compliance requirements of Hertfordshire County Council.

Through proactive technical coordination, value engineering and specialist electrical expertise, Harvey Electrical delivered an installation that supports the long-term operation of the facility while demonstrating its capability in complex healthcare refurbishment projects.