Royal Alexandra Hospital : Sussex Building

Winner of a Civic Trust Award 2009 BDP Wins PM’s Better Public Building Award for Second Time 9 Oct 2008 The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton, designed by BDP, has won the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award, at a ceremony in London last night (Wednesday 08 October 2008). The award is a special category of the British Construction Industry Awards and is sponsored jointly by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). Photo © David Barbour BDP The children’s hospital was chosen from a shortlist of twenty one public building projects, that best demonstrate high-quality design, together with efficient procurement; economic and social value; good team work between client, designer and contractor; sound financial management and whole-life value for money; and sustainability. The new hospital which opened last year, has already won the top award from the International Academy for Design & Health. One of only seven dedicated paediatric hospitals in the UK, it has been designed not to feel like a hospital. A top priority was for daylight and the design of shallow floors with day lit spaces has made the building very sustainable. The user and children-centered approach extends to all aspects of the design for this 15,500 sqm, 100 bed hospital: from the clinical-planning studies, which led to the departmental organisation, placing inpatients above and outpatients below clinical support, and ward layouts, which place all the bedrooms on the sea-view side, to the development of lighting, user-friendly environmental controls and child-scaled furniture and windows. The judges said of the winning design “An uplifting project which has given young patients in Brighton the best possible environment – one which functions like a hospital but does not feel like a hospital.” photos © Sanna Fisher-Payne BDP Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "This award showcases what can be achieved when high-quality design is coupled with highly effective delivery. I hope that the Alex will prove to be an inspiration to other planners, developers and architects." Managing Director of Kajima Partnerships Ltd Julian Rudd-Jones said “All of us at Kajima are incredibly proud to have worked with BDP in creating this wonderful building, The true triumph of BDP is that having come up with an original and challenging concept you then made it work at the detailed engineering level.” BDP Director Benedict Zucchi said “It was a once on a lifetime project with a very supportive client that really brought out the best in us as designers.” The client was Kajima Construction Europe/ Brighton & Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust. BDP was appointed as architect, interior designer, building services engineer, civil & structural engineer, lighting designer and acoustic consultant for the £37 million project. BDP is the first practice whose projects have won the award twice, Bournemouth Central Library being the winners of the award in 2003. Royal Alexandra Hospital Building - Award Information from BDP 6 Jul 2007 THE ALEX IN BRIGHTON WINS INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CARE AWARD The International Academy for Design & Health presented the BDP designed Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton with its Health Care Design Project Award at the 5th World Congress this year held in Glasgow 27 June -1st July The Academy Awards aim to promote health in the built environment and highlight true success within the field of design and health recognising the achievements of design and health professionals. Lee Soden, Director of Facilities and Capital Development at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, said of the award “Having personally seen each of the 15 entries the competition was extraordinarily high with some wonderful creative healthcare facilities across the world. The Alex triumphed over all these wonderful entries and was a truly deserving winner. “ The new hospital is one of only seven dedicated paediatric hospitals in the UK. The site is outstanding with sea views in all directions which have been exploited. At the centre of the hospital, an atrium binds all levels together, ensures good day-lighting throughout the building and creates a strong sense of the whole, which is immediately perceived by anyone entering the Alex or moving up through it in the public lifts. This heart space serves as the outpatients’ reception and waiting area, and an adjacent café and shop form the social hub of the hospital, commanding panoramic views along Brighton’s seafront. The widespread use of colour is a key part of the design. It has been designed not to feel like a hospital. A top priority was for daylight and the design of shallow floors with day lit spaces has made the building very sustainable. The user and children-centered approach extends to all aspects of the design for this 15,500 square metre, 100 bed hospital: from the clinical-planning studies, which led to the departmental organisation, placing inpatients above and outpatients below clinical support, and ward layouts, which place all the bedrooms on the sea-view side, to the development of lighting, user-friendly environmental controls and child-scaled furniture and windows. Architect Director Benedict Zucchi said “As the design began to take shape, it became known early on amongst our team as the Children’s Ark, an image that crystallised a number of important themes: from the idea of a ‘sustainable’ community centered around the family to the nautical spirit of Brighton and the boat-like form of our building. It is a reassuring and optimistic image, around which we have integrated architecture, engineering, art, way-finding and interior finishes, colours and furniture in a way that resonates with children, families and staff. – We are thrilled to have won such a prestigious award from our peers in the healthcare industry. The client was Kajima Construction Europe/ Brighton & Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust. BDP was appointed as architect, interior designer, building services engineer, civil & structural engineer, lighting designer and acoustic consultant for the £36 million project.