Maggie's Centre Leeds

A beautiful, calm and supportive space for patients, families and carers at Europe's largest specialist cancer centre.

Key information

Architect

Heatherwick Studio

Client

Maggie's Centres

Value

£6M

Year of Completion

2018

Sector

Services

Putting wellbeing first

Working alongside architects Heatherwick Studio, we focused on creating a warm and welcoming environment to provide a sanctuary of calm and positivity for centre visitors and passers-by.

Maggie’s Centre Leeds is situated adjacent to the Leeds Cancer Centre at St James’s University Hospital. The innovative and award-winning design consists of a series of contained gardens, capturing the therapeutic effect of plants and creating softness amidst the busy hospital site.

The centre takes the form of a collection of stepped planters, each holding an area of garden that brings nature inside, and spills out and over the building itself. Shared and private internal spaces sit artfully among the plants.

Our project team

Total of 2 people

Adam Reeve

CEng MEng
Principal Engineer

Matthew Waterhouse

MSc BEng AMIMechE CEng
Senior Engineer, Digital Design
Partner

Design Strategy

We took a fabric-first approach to our low energy design, including excellent air tightness, building form and fabric thermal performance. Large glazing areas capture the low winter sun to warm rooms during the winter months.

Natural ventilation keeps occupants cool in the summer and avoids the need for energy intensive cooling. The building benefits from low energy LED lighting throughout, with light levels set low to minimise electricity consumption and bring a sense of calm.

The services have been discreetly concealed with the architecture to create space and avoid clutter, in contrast with the functionality of the hospital buildings that surround it.