COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION
Collaborative approach to sustainable facilities
Julia Davies, Healthcare director, and Ingo Braun, Design principal at NBBJ, discuss the design of the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital. They explain how architecture can integrate clinical care, research, and sustainability, creating a collaborative and human-centred environment for patients, staff, and researchers.
The design of healthcare facilities is undergoing a radical transformation. Our work on the new Cancer Research Hospital offers valuable insights into how we can design future medical spaces to be more collaborative and sustainable, in partnership with patients and other stakeholders. The vision for the specialist hospital focuses on ‘changing the story of cancer’ through early detection and personalised medicine, by bringing together clinical expertise from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) with world- class scientists from the University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, and partners from industry, under one roof. This vision is embedded into every architectural and operational decision. The design fosters integration between university research, commercial innovation and frontline healthcare delivery. It seeks to blur the traditional boundaries between treatment and discovery, ultimately aiming to improve patient outcomes through a deeply collaborative model.
Starting strong The start of the project dates back to 2012 when initial work on the site began, albeit for a different purpose. It wasn’t until 2018, when cancer care became the defining priority, that the project gained renewed momentum. The continuity of NBBJ’s involvement in the project has been a major strength. We have been engaged from concept to construction, enabling a deep understanding of stakeholder needs and long-term vision, working closely with staff and patients throughout the design to ensure the new hospital will provide the best care to meet everyone’s needs. This continuous presence allowed the design to evolve in meaningful ways, balancing clinical priorities with moments of empathy and human experience. While clinical briefs can necessarily be highly prescriptive, the team have tried to prioritise elements that enhance patient and staff wellbeing. The hospital occupies a corner site that is already embedded within a wider healthcare and research ecosystem, in a prime location on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The campus, the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe, includes
Addenbrooke’s Hospital, AstraZeneca, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre and Royal Papworth Hospital, presenting huge collaboration opportunities through relationships with these surrounding organisations. The site will be further enhanced by the new
Cambridge South rail station and a redesigned high street that will improve both pedestrian and public transport access.
Design flexibility Flexibility was a key design requirement. The building had to work within its current physical and social context while also preparing for future changes, including the
Top: The hospital occupies a corner site within a wider healthcare and research ecosystem.
Above: The designers say it was necessary to stack the varied functions vertically, which led to a modular design approach.
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 151
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