Health & Wellbeing

Royal Blackburn Hospital

Brief

The goal of this project was to consolidate the services provided by two separate acute hospitals onto one site in Blackburn, procured through Public Private Partnership.  A forty five thousand square metre extension to house an ambulatory care centre for surgical and medical facilities, including accident and emergency that would cater for seventy thousand attendances plus ward accommodation for a further three hundred beds.  Briefed supporting accommodation includes eleven operating theatres, radiology department, pathology laboratories, pharmacy, dental suite and outpatients.  Further works included a new energy centre, laundry and considerable alteration and refurbishment works to the existing 'nucleus' designed hospital.

Response

The site is on an exposed elevated plateau overlooking the town and the Ribble Valley.  Our initial concept was to reverse the geometry of the exposed existing 'Nucleus' building and create the new accommodation around a series of sheltered courtyards whilst retaining as much external outlook as possible.   The scale of the extension required the creation of a new masterplan to organise and rationalise parking and access to both new and existing buildings.

Outcome

The new buildings, which were constructed within a live hospital environment, provide a modern, clinically efficient building that optimises the views to the surrounding landscape.  Large courtyards within the building provide natural daylight and ventilation deep in to the hospital.  Whilst the new building respects the height of the existing buildings, it provides a significant new landmark for the town using a variety of modern building materials.  An elegant over-arching curved roof provides a unified control for the design of the whole building and protects the internal accommodation from the exposed site.  Following completion, the hospital merged services with Bury Hospital and this resulted in significant additional works, designed to help the Trust realise its vision of providing care of the highest calibre based on evidence, gives value for money and is centred on the needs of patients.

Team