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135
It is planned round, a central court. In front and at the sides it is of two
storeys, but at the rear, where a lofty main waiting hall is provided, it is but one
storey high ; use has been made of these features to provide a pleasant roof court
approached by short staircases from the upper corridors. The central court is
paved with York stone laid in random fashion and an ornamental pond has been
provided.
The Centre is soundly constructed of stock brickwork, the front and end
elevations being faced with hand-made, sand-faced, red facing bricks, relieved
with stone dressings. The main roof is of timber-framed construction covered
with red sand-faced cross-cambered concrete tiles. The flat roof over the main
hall is covered with "Paropa" patent roofing. The first floor, staircases, and
flat roof are of fireproof construction, consisting of hollow tile and reinforced concrete.
The floors with the exception of the entrance hall, stairs and lavatories, are covered
with ¼-inch rubber flooring. In planning the building care has been taken to ensure
that every room and every passageway is not only well lighted and ventilated,
but also easily cleaned. The windows are of the hospital type and consist of metal
casements in hardwood frames, and cross ventilation is provided to every room.
The building is lighted by electricity with the most modern type of fittings
and the heating is provided by electric vapour radiators; hot water is supplied
by electric unit water heaters. The sanitary fittings are of white glazed fireclay
of British manufacture, and the accessories are of white metal. An internal telephone
system has been installed.
The estimated cost of the Centre, which has been erected by direct labour
under Mr. H. W. Tee, the Borough Engineer and Architect, is £18,066.
The building has been designed to provide (a) a maternity and child welfare
section, (b) an orthopaedic clinic, a massage clinic and an electro-therapy clinic,
(c) a school clinic, (d) a dental clinic and (e) a foot clinic.
On the ground floor are the maternity and child welfare rooms and the orthopaedic,
massage, and electro-therapy clinics. The maternity and child welfare rooms,
comprising a weighing room, an ante-room, a doctor's room, an ante-natal room,
and a dispensary with serving hatch to the main hall, are arranged on the left of
the main entrance. The ante-natal room contains individual dressing cubicles
which add very considerably to the comfort and privacy of the mothers. Opening
from this room is a test room and lavatory.
The special treatment rooms, five in number—an orthopaedic room, two for
electro-therapy and massage, one dressing room and one bathroom—are on the
right of the entrance. It has been necessary to construct a Faraday cage in the
walls, ceiling and floor of one of these rooms in order to prevent intereference with
television and wireless sets in the neighbourhood through the use of short wave
machines.