The Biochemistry Department at Oxford University is the largest in the UK and internationally renowned for research work in DNA, cell growth and immunity. The building achieves a new ethos of “interdisciplinary working” where the exchange of ideas is promoted in a large collective and connective environment. At the same time researchers have the space to concentrate on intense work in highly serviced laboratories.

The new building designed by Hawkins\Brown deliberately challenges public perceptions of the secretive nature of research. Elevations are transparent with research spaces brought to the external face, making a political point about the value and integrity of biomedical research.

Challenging accepted norms in health care design, this new greenfield facility responds to the highly emotional reality of what really happens in a hospital. TBRHSC affirms a growing belief in the value of designing for the body, the mind and also the spirit.

The most prominent feature is the means through which the hospital draws on its context and makes tangible references to the natural surroundings. It is the first hospital in Canada to gain approval for the use of wood as a primary structural element.

The dramatic three-storey interior space flooded with natural light serves to acknowledge the spiritual dimension of human life. The welcoming glass concourse intentionally curves to follow the path of the sun and functions as a central circulation and gathering space with a lively café. Conceived as a path through a forest, the timber structure is also rooted in the history and culture of the area.

The project is located within roughly 20 acres of generally flat agricultural land bound by a railroad to the southeast, a major roadway to the south west and similar farmland on the remaining sides. There are no significant geographical or other manmade features on or near the site.



The Venice-Mestre Hospital is a general care hospital with 680 patient care beds. It also boasts an emergency care center and advanced surgical facilities. It is the result of a turnkey competition awarded to Astaldi, one of Italy’s two largest developers. This scheme won over a more conventional design because it was understood that a hospital should be conceived as part of the healing process.

Photographer: Enrico Cano

The original program for Ontario’s Credit Valley Hospital, Cancer Care Centre had set the bar quite high for the project, as it was intended "to be the finest hospital in Canada in the hearts and minds of the people we serve." According to the Architects, transforming these words into reality required a deeply thoughtful response to the “individual's physical, emotional and spiritual needs.”

CVH’s goal was to reimagine what a hospital should be: an extraordinary place whose look and feel matched their vision. The resulting design (conceived as a clearing in the forest) conveys in every respect the message that “you are in good hands.” Sheltering tree-shaped forms combine with natural materials and daylight to give a spiritual dimension to the space. The centre is also the Ontario’s first fully integrated cancer care facility combining ambulatory clinics and cancer treatment.

Last week, we reported about this architecture project being awarded Best International Design by the UK Building Better Healthcare Awards. Here are some more details given to us by C.F. Møller Architects.

The new university hospital is not a traditional institutional construction; it is a friendly, informal place with open, well-structured surroundings which present a welcoming aspect to patients and their families.
Akershus University Hospital has been designed to emphasise security and clarity in experientially rich surroundings, where everyday functions and well-known materials are integrated into the hospital’s architecture.

The North Portland Clinic embraces its urban context, reaching out to underserved populations within its diverse neighborhood. Through massing, transparency and integrated artwork, the clinic visually engages local residents and enhances community identity. It has been a catalyst for revitalization along a public transportation corridor that has recently bisected the neighborhood.

Located on the mass-transit MAX line in Portland’s urban core, the building engages the busy streetscape to reinforce visual connection and invite the community inside. An upturned butterfly roof creates the frame for an expansive wall of windows. The interior is divided into three day-lit clinical pods faced with integrated murals that can be viewed by patients and families within the clinic, as well as those passing by. Created by a local artist, these prominent murals tell the story of this community and its residents, expressing a commitment to the neighborhood and its vibrant history.

The project is a 5.000 square meters (54,000 sq ft) medical facility that houses multiple functions related to the latest scientific and medical advances in eye transplant and research: a surgical facility, stem cell research laboratories, eye treatment center, administrative offices as well as the EIDON Foundation educational facility, which includes a 450-seat auditorium.

The building is highly visible from the roadway and traffic roundabout. The site is a flat, triangular-shaped 2.8 hectare site located near the entrance to a new regional hospital, also designed by Ambasz, a local railroad, and major roadway.

The triangular-shaped building is defined by two 12 meter high walls, shaped as trapezoidal figure, clad in pre-stained (prepatinato) copper set at right angles to each other. The two extreme points of the orthogonal walls seem about to touch each other.

 

The project is located in Split , the second-largest urban centre in Croatia. Close surrounding and historical site of Firule area, the site's location is within Split’s most enjoyable  living, working and recreational environments.


Placed near an existing hospital complex on Firule, and close to the sea and fresh air gives it even more importance and value.