Construction is progressing on a major expansion of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ (EACH) Treehouse children’s hospice in Ipswich, with foundation works now emerging for the new wellbeing and therapies suite.
Gipping Construction is delivering the project, which will expand the hospice’s facilities and increase its capacity to support children, young people and families across Suffolk and North Essex.
The project has been designed by Barefoot & Gilles Architects and includes two new extensions alongside refurbishment of parts of the existing Treehouse.
The new wellbeing and therapies suite will provide dedicated spaces for counselling, art therapy and music therapy.
The works also include the addition of a private entrance, allowing families. particularly those who have been bereaved, to access the facilities without having to pass through the main care area.
Larger hydrotherapy pool
A significantly larger hydrotherapy pool and suite is also being created as part of the expansion.
The existing pool is not large enough to accommodate whole-family swims, while the new facility will allow children and their families to use the pool together.
The development will also provide an additional bedroom, expanded care activity areas, a dedicated space for teenagers and larger kitchen and dining facilities.
New play and activity areas are planned, including a soft-play area and a ‘cosy corner’, alongside additional storage and car parking.
Piling works under way
Early works on the site included demolition, clearance and levelling ahead of the construction of the extensions.
Gipping Construction has reported progress on the basement area and pile mat, with Van Elle completing a sheet-piled retaining wall and Colets Piling carrying out continuous flight auger piling with support from Sauka Groundworks.
Material recovered from the demolished building is also being reused on site, with crushed material being used during the construction works.
The project is being delivered while the hospice remains operational, with Gipping Construction appointed in part for its experience of working on live and sensitive sites.
The construction programme is expected to take around 80 weeks and is being delivered in two phases, beginning with the new wellbeing and hydrotherapy facilities before moving on to the new activity area.
The expanded Treehouse is currently expected to be completed in early 2028.
