The new £15m Ayrshire Maternity Unit at Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock recently completed on time to meet its handover date of 30th June 2006. The 36 month programme from initial bid to completion represents the fastest ever achieved for a PPP project in Scotland.‘

All parties involved in the project including NHS Ayrshire & Arran have been delighted with the way the project has developed from initial bid stage to now finally becoming reality’ said Keppie Associate, Yawar Shahzad.‘ We are delighted with the response from staff and visitors to the building since it opened on schedule in the middle of August.’

Described as a new era in maternity services in the community of Ayrshire and Arran, the design for the facility has been shaped in direct response to the clinical brief and site context. From a simple ‘figure of 8’ plan, the curved form is modelled to respond to and reduce the impact of the development on the nearby residential area. The positioning of the building in relation to the existing hospital also allows it to form a ‘bookend’ to the main building frontage. This arrangement gives the maternity unit a sense of identity and creates a focal point without losing the visual connections to the other Hospital entrances.   

Internally, the provision of large landscaped courtyard spaces allows natural light to penetrate deep into the plan, creating a pleasant environment for both patients and staff.