Project category: Project in progress (October 2007)

Chief administrator: David Highton, Managing Director, 44 (0) 186-589-3293

Firm: FaulknerBrowns | Chong Partners, LLP, (415) 433-0120

Design team: Hakee Chang, Louis Kaufman, John Lyon, Doug Olson (Chong Partners Architecture); Chris Howliston, Andrew Kane (FaulknerBrowns Architects)

Illustration: Asaad Raoof; Chong Partners Architecture

Total building area (sq. ft.): 60,000

Construction cost/sq. ft.: Not released

Total construction cost (excluding land): Not released

The design team for this new surgical/diagnostic facility both tested and developed an innovative solution using off-site modular techniques and delivering high-quality finishes for rapid assembly. The modular scheme allows designers and medical planners to work less like an orchestrated symphony and more in the manner of an improvisational jazz ensemble.

The external envelope and internal partition modular system permit plan adjustments during design and construction and throughout the life of the facility. As programs are modified, shifts in program components are reflected in the composition of the exterior cladding, which acts as a “flexible skin.” Color-coated metal panels and windows can be rearranged in virtually any combination and still provide aesthetic appeal that suits the site context.

The 60,000-sq.-ft. facility is located on the south edge of the Lister Hospital campus and includes space for recovery, pre-op, five operating rooms, 20 inpatient beds, and an endoscopy suite. The project is part of a Private Finance Initiative being implemented in the National Health Service’s transition to decentralization.

The new building is situated behind mature trees along the thoroughfare between the hospital campus and the residential community. The top level is set back in response to the neighborhood and creates a dynamic south-facing frontage. A drop-off area with a loggia connects to covered ground-level parking. In addition, a corridor connects the ground floor of the main hospital to Level 2 of the new building, enabling pedestrians from a nearby bus stop to access the hospital.