The new Velindre Cancer Centre named winner in the EHD Awards

The winners of the EHD Awards were announced yesterday at the EHD Congress in London. The awards recognise healthcare environments that promote health and wellness, embed quality improvement and support the delivery of treatment and care in an accessible, sustainable and equitable way.

– Together with the NHS and our partners we want to create a healthcare environment for the future that supports the mental and physical wellbeing of both patients and families, while also offering a state-of-the-art workplace for staff, says Michael Woodford, Director London Studio, White Arkitekter.

The new Velindre Cancer Centre is being developed by The ACORN consortium with White Arkitekter as Lead Designer. With high sustainability goals, the building is designed to maximise the use of local natural materials with low carbon footprints that promote health and well-being. The use of materials such as wood, and lime and clay plasters that are breathable and flexible create a natural and calming environment for patients, families and staff.

– The new Velindre Cancer Centre represents a major step forward for healthcare design in the UK. With a focus on low carbon materials combined with the aim of preserving the surrounding landscape as wild as possible, we are designing a healthcare facility where the environment supports and complements the medical treatment of patients, says Michael Wooford, Director London Studio, White Arkitekter.

The new Velindre Cancer Centre will be carefully integrated into the Welsh landscape with respect for flora, fauna and ecology. At the same time, new spaces in the landscape such as the orchard and community kitchen garden are planned to support healthy habits. By designing informal playgrounds and a variety of walking, cycling and relaxation areas, play and movement in nature is encouraged. 

The Acorn consortium, the new Velindre Cancer Centre
The consortium was appointed following a public procurement process run by Velindre University NHS Trust, and includes Kajima Partnerships, Sacyr, Abrdn, Andrew Scott, Kier Facilities Services, White Arkitekter, MJ Medical, Turley, Studio Response, Camlins Landscape Architects, Osborne Clarke, Operis, Confab Lab, Hydrock, Socotec and Ingho FM.

Arthroplasty Clinic, Bromma Hospital highly commended
In addition to the new Velindre Cancer Centre, White Arkitekter also had one more healthcare project nomineted that was highly commended in the Design for Adaption and Transformation category, Arthroplasty Clinic, Bromma Hospital. In March 2020 Vectura acquired Bromma Hospital with the vision of revitalising a technically obsolete healthcare building into a vibrant centre for health and care. Two years later, the new premises were inaugurated and through a focus on reuse, the older building has been brought to life. The project is an example of how an obsolete building can be reused and developed with a new-build quality. Thanks to the new centre, Bromma Hospital has developed a state-of-the-art operating environment for hip and knee replacement surgery. In the project White Arkitekter has collaborated with Ledplastikcentrum, Vectura, Incoord, PE Teknik & Arkitektur and Skanska.