NOTTINGHAM BREAST INSTITUTE
A landmark building was required to reflect the international status of
the Nottingham Breast Institute, which is recognised as being at the forefront
of clinical care and research into the diagnosis and treatment of breast
cancer. The new building is one of the UK’s first purpose designed
breast institutes. The old Breast Screening and Outpatient Service was housed
in a collection of portacabins, some of which were up to 25 years old and
beyond their useful economic life. This existing accommodation severely
prejudiced delivery of the quality service to which the Trust aspires.
The new building is located towards the southwest corner of the Nottingham City Hospital campus. The building sits on an existing plateau with an embankment rising to the north and another embankment falling to the south. Placing the building on the plateau gave it plenty of ‘elbow room’, because of the surrounding embankments it nestles comfortably into the hillside. As the site was previously occupied by the Maternity Hospital advantage was taken of reusing the existing access road for the approach to the building. Existing mature trees are retained. New landscaping is concentrated in areas of maximum effect, for example the main entrance, arrival points and courtyard where there is feature planting. The embankments are turfed. There is a loggia in the southeast corner with a garden specifically for the counselling suite.
The new building is simple and elegant with a non-institutional feel. It also had to be economic, flexible, energy efficient and sustainable. A main objective of the new building is to allow the efficient delivery of healthcare by staff. The building form reflects the flows of its function and the curved wings give a very soft welcoming architecture, which is non-threatening and non-institutional and engenders a sense of calm amongst patients who could be in a state of extreme anxiety.
The new breast institute provides a comprehensive screening and outpatient service to breast patients and includes an educational unit. It maximizes the efficiency of the working practices and provides an environment, which is appropriate to the needs of patients and staff. A lot of work has been done to raise the funding for this important building and it is intended that the resulting building reflects this in terms of quality. The unit provides an environment, which is safe, stable and predictable. It is intended to be a physical environment that supports the psychological needs of patients, staff and visitors and is considered a positive caring environment.
All public areas are located on the ground floor and there are combinations of open and more private internal and external spaces to suit the patient’s circumstance. All patients approach via the same main entrance, which is located within the atrium. Patients are streamed to the Breast Screening or to the Outpatient Clinics immediately after reporting to reception. The building also contains teaching and administration functions, which are located on the first floor. It was felt that the best flows could be accommodated through a plan form, which allowed accommodation to be wrapped around a central atrium and external courtyard. All functions have access to and share the facilities of the atrium, which, together with the courtyard serves as a focal point around which people can orientate themselves. The accommodation and available footprint meant that a two-storey solution was the most effective. Because of the slope of the site, access is also available at first floor level off a footbridge directly to the first floor staff accommodation where the staff entrance, goods deliveries and immediate access to the professorial unit are located. Thus the building is separated from but immediately accessible to the rest of the hospital campus. The first floor south façade, which houses training and radiologists’ offices, enjoys splendid views over Nottingham.
All materials were chosen following review for durability, infection control, aesthetic appearance maintainability and lifecycle costing. The proposed building is a steel frame with composite floors. The atrium has curtain walling to two sides. The walls are in a local red brick, which matches the surrounding buildings typical of the area, with cavity insulation and concrete block inner skin construction to comply with the latest Part L of the Building Regulations. There is render to external courtyard walls. All windows and curtain walling are steel framed. The roof is clad in standing seam mill finish aluminium to the higher-level plant room and atrium roof. Single ply membrane is applied to the lower level flat roof, which is finished with rounded gravel, which provides good thermal mass. Internal partitions are generally plasterboard on metal stud to allow future flexibility of space. The staff and training areas can be accessed at first floor level via a bridge link or via a lift from the ground floor atrium area. All doors are a minimum of 1000mm wide to allow for wheelchair access. There are hearing induction loops provided in the main training room and at reception. Signage is white lettering on a dark background to aid the visually impaired.
The cost of £3,750,000 was funded by the Health Authority, supplemented by charitable contributions following a local fundraising campaign. Health Authority funding guidelines based on costs for similar facilities determined the budget for the project.
Building Design Partnership (Abridged)
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