Oncology build: five years on

Five years ago, in the midst of a global pandemic and the NHS winter pressures, we were appointed to design and construct a new oncology care unit at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust in just nine months.

With our in-depth knowledge of working with the NHS and our 1 Team approach we designed a two-storey extension above the existing, in-use oncology LINAC bunkers. This new building created spacious, calm, and comfortable surroundings for oncology and haematology patients undergoing long-term treatment.

Using our 1 Team we brought together Lead Consultant Architect, Building Surveyor, Principal Designer, Quantity Surveyor, and Contract Administrator, so there was a single integrated team working with agility and purpose to deliver this in the nine month timeframe.

The completed first floor provides 27 inpatient beds, including single ensuite rooms and enhanced ventilation spaces for immunosuppressed patients, which enables more people to undergo bone marrow transplants closer to home.

Sustainability was central to our design with a fabric-first approach, improved thermal performance and air tightness. We installed a photovoltaic array for onsite electricity generation which also helped us meet the Trust’s and Local Planning Authority’s sustainability standards.

What made it possible wasn’t speed alone, it was collaboration. The close partnership between our team, the Contractor, and the Trust proved what can be achieved when everyone pulls together with a shared goal in the extraordinary circumstances of a global pandemic - supporting patients in need of high quality care.

A subsequent fit-out provided Ophthalmology facilities on the second floor, extending the building’s impact even further.

Five years on, this project remains a reminder of what’s possible in extremely challenging circumstances when there is an urgent clinical requirement and design and delivery align around patient care.