Willow Lodge Refurbishment

Red Tree was appointed by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust to transform a long-term vacant building into a modern step-down mental health facility. Delivered between October 2025 and June 2026, the project created seven self-contained flats, including a fully accessible DDA-compliant apartment, alongside a communal café, clinical accommodation and office space.

As part of the refurbishment, the original building was revitalised with a new render finish designed to complement the surrounding area and provide a welcoming, contemporary appearance.

The scheme also included significant structural alterations, a new incoming power supply, full M&E installation and extensive external works, bringing a long-term empty building back into use and creating a high-quality environment that supports independent living and recovery.

Through early contractor involvement, Red Tree worked closely with the client, design team and specialist subcontractors from Stage 4 onwards to identify challenges, improve coordination and provide greater cost certainty. This collaborative approach enabled us to highlight potential maintenance and access issues associated with locating mechanical plant within the roof void, leading to the development of a sterile roof space solution that improved long-term maintainability while simplifying installation. We also worked proactively with the client, local authority and energy provider to coordinate the installation of a new incoming electrical supply, ensuring the programme remained on track.

The project required significant structural alterations, including the installation of a new steel frame within the café area to create an open-plan community space. Working alongside the structural engineer, we developed a safe temporary works solution to support the existing first-floor slab during the installation process.