Supporting people living with cancer, Maggie’s Centre at University Hospital Southampton is a welcoming space for patients, family, and friends – providing emotional and practical support to those dealing with the negative impacts of a cancer diagnosis. 

The centre is designed to be a welcoming, inclusive place where people can relax, talk, and get the emotional and wellbeing support they need.  

Maggie’s engaged with us early in the design process to represent the views of cancer patients and provide valuable feedback which helped to inform the final design. Working closely with Maggie’s, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A), we transformed a car park into a light-filled centre with a key focus on user experience.

With sustainability and patient experience at its heart, the centre offers open and flexible spaces that meet a variety of patient needs. Insulating rooms keep the centre warm while creating acoustically separate spaces for private consultations and administration. Large windows and skylights provide plenty of natural light and a view of the encircling gardens. An accessible single entrance can be used by all. 

A people-centred cancer centre 

Maggie’s in Southampton engaged with us early in the design process to represent the views of cancer patients and create a centre that prioritised the needs of its users. The centre features insulating rooms to keep the centre warm while creating acoustically separate spaces for private consultations and administration. Users asked for natural light and a view to the outside, which led to the inclusion of large windows and skylights. Creating a people-focused cancer centre also meant providing an accessible single entrance that all can use. To mitigate the noise and disruption from vehicles using the nearby car park, the gardens surrounding the centre act as a calming green refuge. 

Maggies Cancer Centre

Patient feedback identified the need for natural light and a view to the outside in hospital design. This led to the inclusion of large windows and skylights throughout the centre which provide plenty of natural light throughout the year and a view of the gardens.

Sustainability at the core of patient support 

We designed the centre to be a low-carbon refuge with minimal requirement for materials to be replaced. A ceramic spine that is central to its architectural design uses ceramic blocks and timber joints – less carbon intensive and more cost effective. The use of ceramics removed the need to replace the centre’s internal and external finishes, providing a whole-life carbon saving. The clay soil removed the need for deep foundations, minimising the amount of concrete required. We also implemented passive design principles to reduce the centre’s operational carbon. The surrounding garden provides shading, and the space is fully naturally ventilated. The surrounding gardens and green roof create a sanctuary for users and enhance the ecological value and biodiversity of the project.  

Partners & collaborators

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust / Project Architects – Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A)