DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
An aerial rendered view of the new PBT facility in its central London setting.
weighing 100 tonnes, four treatment gantries each weighing 200 tonnes, and a beam line made up of individual magnets of varying weights. (The volume of concrete alone in the PBT area is approximately 28,000 m3
– enough to fill the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral 1.5 times).
Radiation shielding Dense concrete walls (in some areas up to 2 m thick) provide the necessary radiation shielding and structural support for the building above. There is also a provision of demountable blockwork in some areas to provide future flexibility, and removal / access pathways to the PBT beam line and back-of-house areas. The use of BIM during both the detailed design and construction stages was paramount, but especially beneficial in the coordination of services within the PBT areas. A highly complex web of embedded ductwork, pipes, and wires, within the poured mass concrete had to be co-ordinated with reinforcement steelwork, while allowing for the requisite bends and spacings to comply with Radiation Shielding regulations.
An adjustable venetian blind system is incorporated as a non- integral part of the curtain wall system.
Above ground, the building is
characterised by generosity of space, light transparency, and sensory encounters to offer respite from city life, and the busy Tottenham Court Road area where it is based. To align with adjacent buildings and protect light and sight lines, the building itself is stepped back across its section, and split into two corresponding blocks – the ‘L’-shaped main block, and the smaller ‘Courtyard’ block, connected by a spacious, light-filled atrium.
Light ‘filters’ into all inpatient rooms The atrium brings natural daylight down through the building, through a deep plan and six floor levels, to filter into all inpatient rooms. This is particularly important for the wellbeing of long-term cancer patients, many of whom are likely to be immunocompromised and confined to their room for long periods. The building’s external ‘veiled’ façade provides solar shading and layers of privacy to patient rooms from the outside, while allowing a larger degree of openness, connectivity, and visibility, to the outside world for the patient, to counter the sense of
isolation that can accompany extended hospital stays. The fixed veil system wraps around the perimeter building, providing permanent privacy screening from the street. The veil can be safely cleaned and maintained from the permanent external walkway system, and sections dismounted and replaced separately if needed in future. As a secondary level of privacy to the street façades, as well as providing privacy for the atrium-facing patient bedrooms, an adjustable venetian blind system is incorporated as a non-integral part of the curtain wall system. These blinds can be controlled by the patient or staff to achieve the desired level of privacy and incoming light. The blinds have been incorporated into an openable glass screen ventilated cavity which allows easy access for cleaning and maintenance, and can easily be removed and replaced, if necessary from the outside, without affecting the permanent hermetic seal of the bedroom. This means that the bedrooms can stay fully operational while the blinds are being cleaned or replaced externally. The cavity incorporating the blinds also includes a ventilation filter which excludes dust from
The atrium brings natural daylight down through the building, through a deep plan and six floor levels.
66 Health Estate Journal June 2022
A planning study sectional perspective view of the new PBT facility.
Courtesy of Edward Williams Architects / Scott Tallon Walker
Courtesy of Edward Williams Architects / Scott Tallon Walker
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
