Projects
Basildon Hospital – Essex
Bowman Riley designed a new two-storey modular building at the front of Basildon Hospital for Noviniti. This building offers significantly improved entrance and welcome facilities for patients, staff, and visitors.
Noviniti partnered with Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to fund and develop the new main entrance, which was funded using the income generated from the latest retail facilities.
The major project overhauls the existing entrance, which had not been changed since the hospital opened in 1972, offering more facilities and a brighter welcome. The new building features a new restaurant, a dedicated seating area, a new bereavement and PALS suite, a refurbished multi-faith room, an expanded administration space, and shops.
Our design uses bronze cladding at the front as a standout feature to highlight the hospital’s entrance. The remainder of the building has buff-coloured cladding, creating a soft aesthetic that blends in with the surrounding building façades.
A particular challenge was the proximity to the existing hospital building. In liaison with the structural engineers, we designed a section of the proposed development to be cantilevered at ground level over the existing building’s basement.
From the outset, the building was designed to be modular, enabling it to be constructed off-site. This method reduced the time and impact of the construction work on the hospital’s operations.
Northampton General Hospital
Bowman Riley designed a contemporary modular building to serve as the new main entrance and welcome hub for patients, staff, and visitors at Northampton General Hospital.
The existing hospital layout posed navigation challenges, with the reception buried in the centre and amenities such as cafés and retail units scattered throughout. The new entrance building transforms the arrival experience by bringing together key facilities under one roof: a central reception, coffee shops, retail units, patient advice and liaison offices, and accessible washrooms.
To ensure long-term flexibility, the building was designed to support the addition of an extra storey above the entrance, allowing the hospital to adapt to future needs.
Using modular construction methods significantly reduced on-site time and disruption to hospital operations while maintaining exceptional, factory-controlled quality. We collaborated closely with Catfoss, modular construction specialists who are simultaneously developing a new ICU ward designed to complement the entrance building. This partnership ensures a cohesive architectural aesthetic across the hospital’s expanding campus.
Beyond the building itself, the project included extensive infrastructure improvements to enhance accessibility and safety. These works comprised upgraded lighting, landscaping, a raised pedestrian crossing connecting the parking area, the diversion and relocation of the existing roadway, and reconfigured car parks to maintain overall capacity.
Through innovative modular design and strategic collaboration, we delivered a welcoming hospital entrance at Northampton General Hospital that elevates the visitor experience while ensuring operational continuity.
Leicester Royal Infirmary
Bowman Riley prepared several schemes for improvement works at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, centred around a new modular Children’s Development Centre on an existing car park site.
We designed the Children’s Development Centre to complement the modular construction method, using a render and brick slip façade to match the adjacent Windsor Building’s existing brick and concrete panelling aesthetic.
A new covered walkway leads from the car park to an entrance corridor, designed to draw visitors into the hospital. This connects to a two-storey reception and welcome building featuring a pharmacy and patient liaison offices within an existing courtyard.
The proposed walkway featured tensile sails in colours matching the new entrance building. It connected to the existing structure, resembling a long corridor divided into blocks of glazing, render, and pewter cladding for visual interest.
The pewter cladding complemented the nearby Accident & Emergency building. Perforated metal panels over lightboxes were added at the entrance for signage and wayfinding.
The reception building features an open atrium design to maximise natural light and create a welcoming atmosphere for visitors and patients. A natural palette of materials was chosen to provide a homely feel and reduce anxiety, avoiding a clinical atmosphere. The building also includes internal escalators to connect existing hospital departments, enhancing visitor experience and circulation.
Queen Alexandra Hospital – Portsmouth
Bowman Riley has designed a new main entrance facility and lecture theatre for Queen Alexandra Hospital at Portsmouth Hospital for developer Noviniti.
Noviniti has teamed up with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and One Retail to deliver a new, bright and airy two-storey main entrance. This entrance provides a new foyer for staff, patients, and visitors, as well as additional retail facilities on site, including Marks and Spencer Food and the Stock Shop clothing and accessories store. In addition, this phase of the project included a Changing Places facility.
The second phase of works involves landscaping around the entrance and a custom-designed 254-seat lecture theatre on the first floor, which will help support training and development at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.
Mark Orchard, Chief Finance Officer at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust said: “This is a fantastic new development which will help improve the experience of those visiting our hospital site. This is another step in a number of significant improvements to The Queen Alexandra Hospital, including improved green spaces around the site. These plans will help us continue to deliver high-quality services in efficient, well-maintained and well-designed buildings.”
Jonathan Houlston, Chief Executive Officer at Noviniti, said: “We are proud to be partnering with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and One Retail to deliver this magnificent new Main Entrance facility, the first phase of four in this project delivery programme. The benefits to staff, patients and visitors will be greatly appreciated by all.
Northamptonshire Association for the Blind
Bowman Riley designed a new building in Kingsthorpe, Northampton, as a bespoke centre for the Northamptonshire Association for the Blind.
For over 125 years, the Northamptonshire Association for the Blind (NAB) has been a vital lifeline for individuals living with sight loss, providing guidance, support, and specialised products to help them live independently and with confidence.
To continue this vital work, Bowman Riley has designed a purpose-built centre in Kingsthorpe, Northampton, explicitly tailored to Northamptonshire Association for the Blind’s growing needs and vision for the future.
Replacing an outdated facility, the new building will create a welcoming, fully accessible environment that empowers people with visual impairments to thrive. The centre will include dedicated teaching and administration spaces, a specialist local radio station and recording studio, and a series of auditory, educational, and sensory rooms designed to stimulate and engage users in different ways.
Designed as a vibrant mixed-use hub, the development will also feature a police enquiry desk, a community café situated at the main entrance to encourage interaction and inclusion, and a mini-museum showcasing artefacts significant to the visually impaired community.
Built on a compact site along a busy main road, the project presented a unique design challenge. Bowman Riley’s solution integrates under-croft parking, a modern architectural style, and an abundance of natural daylight—all aimed at enhancing comfort, accessibility, and well-being for every visitor.
Neonatal Unit Parents Suite – Bradford Royal Infirmary
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Bradford, West Yorkshire
Bowman Riley has designed a suite for the parents of premature newborns as part of the Neonatal Unit at the Bradford Royal Infirmary for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
This project follows our work on the expansion of the Neonatal Unit in 2012. The Neonatal Unit provides all levels of newborn medical care for up to 30 babies at any one time and is also home to an Intensive and High Dependency Care Unit. The existing unit provides limited facilities for families with only two bedrooms available for parents who need to stay over.
With a capacity of 30 babies but only facilities for two sets of parents, the Trust identified a need to increase the parent facilities. We undertook feasibility designs for the new Parent Suite on a pro-bono basis to help the Trust raise funds for the project. One of our designers had first-hand experience of the unit as a parent.
The original designs were heavily influenced by our designer’s personal experiences and came as a result of closely working with the team at the Trust. As part of the developing design, we applied HTM and HBN healthcare standards to the scheme but found that the application of these standards did not meet the Trust’s needs and the design was further developed in the original style focusing on the needs of the building users.
The new suite will provide five additional bedrooms with communal areas and a private bereavement suite for parents to say goodbye to their newborn. A private external area was also designed with a small play park to keep siblings entertained. The building has been designed to accommodate additional storeys allowing increased capacity in the future.
Following the completion of the feasibility concepts, large scale charity events have taken place and major businesses like Wm Morrison Supermarkets have committed to supporting the development.
Please see our other healthcare projects.
Colchester Hospital Reconfiguration and Extensions
Noviniti
Colchester, Essex
Bowman Riley designed a new two-storey building to reconfigure and extend the front of the main Colchester Hospital and provide a new Emergency Department.
The new building combines a new entrance, waiting room, consultation rooms, retail units on the ground floor, office space on the first floor with a new Emergency Department, which integrates the new build to the existing emergency rooms in the hospital.
The design of the new building features linear strips of variant colours of blue shades and large curtain walling to the front to provide plenty of daylight to both the retail units and office spaces.
The main front entrance façade has a timber cladding canopy and pier feature walls to highlight the main entrance. There is a living wall to the main atrium.
The hospital needed a solution that would minimise the disruption to Colchester Hospital’s operations and was delivered in the quickest amount of time. To meet this agenda, the building was constructed using modular units that were predominantly fabricated off-site. The only works undertaken on-site were the façade finish, internal fit-out and the external works.
Now complete, the project has resulted in a significant enhancement to the hospital, providing new facilities for patients, staff and visitors.
Read more articles about the project on Noviniti’s website. Images courtesy of Noviniti.
See more of our healthcare projects.
The Old Vinyl Factory GP Practice – Hayes, London
Mayfair Group Investment
Hayes, London
Bowman Riley designed the comprehensive fit-out of a former vinyl factory into a modern GP practice for Mayfair Group Investment, an innovative developer, investor, and manager specialising in healthcare and residential properties.
The Old Vinyl Factory is a complex of buildings formerly owned by the British music company EMI in Hayes, within the London Borough of Hillingdon. The site was originally purchased by Gramophone and Typewriter Ltd and the buildings were designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners in the early 20th century.
Situated within the Old Vinyl Factory development, the project encompasses the semi-basement, ground, and first-floor levels. The scope of the project includes a bespoke fit-out of the developer shell to create a medical facility featuring consulting and treatment rooms tailored for GPs.
Using ADB software for specialist medical fit-out drawings, the designs were meticulously crafted to ensure full compliance with HBN standards. This approach guarantees that the design addresses the specific needs of patients and addresses healthcare inequalities.
Currently underway, the project is poised to achieve a fit-out recognised as best-in-class for delivering patient care.
In addition, the project aims to achieve a very good or excellent BREEAM rating, further underscoring the project’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Please see our other healthcare projects.
King George Hospital – Ilford, London
Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge
Bowman Riley has designed a new two-storey modular building at the King George Hospital in Ilford.
Clad in multi-depth panels in shades of stone and bronze, the new feature building will create a distinct sense of place and arrival at the main hospital entrance juncture. Designed to complement the existing built environment, the new building will add a fresh new layer of modernity to the backdrop of the slightly dated existing hospital buildings.
Located across from the main hospital, the new development will improve wayfinding from the existing car park and main entrance, which is currently confusing and impractical. The scheme includes a new covered walkway to shelter people as they move between the existing hospital and proposed gateway building. Simple and elegant in form, this new walkway will further emphasise the key entrance building and further promote wayfinding.
Providing a physical entrance-way towards the main hospital buildings, the new development will house retail facilities comprising an M&S and WH Smiths on the ground floor. Clerical accommodation will be relocated from the main hospital building to the first floor; releasing much-needed space within the existing hospital for clinical services.
Primary issues revolve around the building’s location and the disruption to ambulance services, drop-off and bus services during the construction period. Further issues centre around the existing horse chestnut tree that had to be retained, along with in-ground services that were unable to be re-routed and the incorporation of a new replacement bus stop.
Modular construction formed the basis of the brief and informed our design from the very start, establishing a design solution composed of efficient and practical module sizes. Constructed off-site to maximise quality and save time on site, the new precision-made steel-framed building will minimise air leakage for improved thermal efficiency, lower running costs, and reduced carbon emissions.
Royal Derby Hospital Temporary Ward Accommodation
Bowman Riley designed a modular single storey adult in-patient ward on the ground floor of the Royal Derby Hospital including a single height link corridor to the Coronary Care building.
The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust had a bed deficit of over 100 acute beds and a significant number of health economy wide challenges. The impact of this is that performance and flow across the hospital is negatively affected by the number of patients who remain in hospital but are medically fit for discharge and should be receiving continuing care outside of a hospital environment.
This new temporary ward block housed 28 acute beds for a period of nine months from completion to provide much needed additional bed capacity whilst an integrated care system is developed. The additional 28 beds supported the Trust in mitigating the challenges associated with the bed deficit and ensure the Trust was able to better respond to winter pressures.
The modular building was delivered to site in multiple sections. Upon arrival on site, the building was 50% complete. Post-installation, the building was ready for occupation within nine weeks. Before the modules arrived on site, the car park was closed three days before temporary ground works took place for 12 days. Ground works were minimal to reduce the disruption to the car park with the modules sat on pad foundations rather than traditional strip foundations.
The modular build approach was designed to reduce both time and disruption on site, more specifically disruption to operations at the Royal Derby Hospital. The unit will be designed in such a way that the rear 15, five-bed ward bays were installed on site first with the remaining 15 bays following three weeks later.
Supported Accommodation for Vulnerable Women – Peckham, London
Bowman Riley was approached by the property industry charity LandAid to assist with the refurbishment of supported accommodation for vulnerable women facing homelessness on a pro-bono basis in Peckham, London for Oasis Community Housing.
The facility is for 16 women providing single rooms, self-contained flats and mother and baby units.
The initial scheme was for a small extension to the original building comprising the refurbishment of the office, communal lounge and communal kitchen. The involvement with the initial contractor diminished and the extension was cancelled. The charity went ahead with an alternative proposal to refurbish the originally intended areas and the communal areas and residents’ rooms.
We supported the charity beyond our original role of principal designer by agreeing and preparing a refurbishment schedule of works, administering a tender analysis and recommending a contractor, coordination, project management and contract administration over the project’s duration. We were involved for a two year period and continued our service throughout the pandemic.
The challenges we encountered concerned the movement of vulnerable residents to stay in hotels or with friends/family during the works, the difficulty of securing a contractor and undertaking the works during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. The successful delivery of the project was facilitated by phasing the works into two stages.
“We are amazed by the tenacity of Bowman Riley to support this project. A big thank you for sticking with us. We really do appreciate the commitment you have shown to this project.”
Hazel Ditchburn, Corporate Relationship Manager, Oasis Community Housing
Please refer to our other social housing projects.
Kingfield Mews – Sheffield
Pathways Care
Sheffield
Bowman Riley designed the conversion of an existing care home into accommodation for adults with learning difficulties, autism, and mental health issues with challenging behaviour for Pathways Care, a leading provider of specialist residential care, education, assessment, and support services.
Our brief was to design a state-of-the-art development that combines bespoke design with assistive technology. The aim of Kingfield Mews is to increase the independence of the people living there in a person-centred way that meets their individual needs.
The existing care home is a 19th-century building with 1970s -1980s extensions. Our proposals involve converting the original house into a shared home for four residents and four carers, with office and communal spaces designed specifically to meet the residents’ needs.
The 20th-century extensions will be converted into six two-bedroom apartments for people with 24/7 caring needs. One bedroom is for the resident, and the second bedroom is for their carer. The use of advanced technology will enable residents who need their own space to be allowed that space safely, with the opportunity for constant monitoring in the living areas.
To be delivered within a six-month challenging programme, we are producing our designs simultaneously with the contractor working on site, completing demolition and enabling works. We liaised closely with the fire and acoustic consultants, building control and quantity surveyors.
See our other care projects.
Milton Keynes University Hospital New Entrance and Retail Building
Catfoss
Milton Keynes
Bowman Riley designed and delivered a new hospital entrance and retail building at Milton Keynes University Hospital, a medium-sized district general hospital.
The building accommodates three retail units to be occupied by Amigo, Costa Coffee and Subway for patients, staff and visitors bringing much-needed revenue into the hospital.
As part of the hospital’s wider redevelopment programme to upgrade the infrastructure and facilities, the new entrance was designed on a former car park.
We worked in partnership with the NHS Trust, Compass Group, Catfoss, Kier Construction and the local authority to deliver the 987m² free-standing single-storey entrance building. The South Westerly facing building has brise soleil to provide shading and links building back into the existing Outpatients, Ear, Nose and Throat, Speech Therapy and Physiotherapy departments.
The modular building was constructed in an offsite controlled environment, which vastly reduced the time spent on-site resulting in less waste material. Constructed with a hot-rolled steel chassis, the fabric of the building offers an engineered solution featuring high levels of fire resistance and thermal efficiency.
Delivered to the site in 19 modular sections, the building was erected in just three days despite the challenge of transporting and installing a 15m long x 4m chassis.
Complex ground conditions included an existing live services tunnel beneath the development. The quick installation time meant that site works were kept to a minimum and air quality conditions were maintained – crucial for a healthcare environment. The final fit-out was conducted within 12 weeks keeping disruption to the hospital to an absolute minimum.
Royal Stoke University Hospital Acute and Retail
Catfoss and Seddon Construction
Stoke on Trent
Royal Stoke University Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in the country run by the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.
The hospital is currently experiencing a severe bed shortage due to a high number of admissions and a large number of acutely unwell patients in the wards. The impact of this is that performance and patient flow across the hospital is negatively affected by the number of post-procedure patients who remain in specialist wards when they could be convalescing in general wards.
Bowman Riley was commissioned to provide designs on a new modular development to increase the capacity of acute beds by a further 110 and create a retail space.
The new development will be located at the front of the main entrance in an area that is currently occupied by landscaping, patient drop-off area, cycle parking (to be relocated) and a freestanding canopy structure. The main entrance of the hospital needs to be open 24/7 resulting in the need for a comprehensive phasing strategy.
An additional challenge is the underground services and sub-level mortuary combined with financial and legal challenges in abutting new building to an existing PFI.
Bowman Riley’s team will be working in close coordination with Trust’s estate’s team and the hospital operators.
The Oakwell Centre – Dewsbury and District Hospital
Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Bowman Riley designed and managed The Oakwell Centre, a new School of Nursing at the Dewsbury and District Hospital under the framework agreement with the University of Bradford.
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust identified the need to offer a locally based degree programme to attract student nurses that may not otherwise apply to a University nursing course outside of the district. With this in mind, the Trust approached the University to deliver a satellite nursing degree programme at Dewsbury and District Hospital.
The objective was to create an on-site learning facility that will allow for up to 80 trainee nurses to learn whilst gaining practical hospital experience.
The project involved the refurbishment and reconfiguration of a 460m2 flat-roofed building constructed in 1960 that had been used as a training and archive facility and had not been extensively refurbished for forty years.
We undertook a space planning exercise to make sure the spaces met the needs of the users and to created the best use of the available space. We specified and arranged the installation of all finishes and fittings.
The Oakwell Centre was completed within the client’s target timescales in preparation for the intake of students in the new academic year and opened by Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England.
Relocation of Hospital Imaging Facilities – MRI Scanners
Bowman Riley has been commissioned to provide design, project management and principal designer services on the removal and installation of MRI scanners at Falkirk Hospital and an additional site.
Bowman Riley is working alongside MW Mechanical to facilitate the removal of existing equipment and installation of the MRI scanners.
The main challenge of the project is to safely remove and install the scanners in a live clinical environment.
Image for illustrative purposes only.
Wythenshawe Hospital New Modular Building
Bowman Riley provided the detailed design for a new 365m2 modular building at Wythenshawe Hospital, part of the University Hospital Southern Manchester NHS Foundation Trust to create a new main hospital entrance.
The building houses a Costa Coffee and M&S Simply Food to provide an upgraded food retail offering at the hospital and bring in much needed additional revenue to the NHS Trust.
The building was constructed beneath an undercroft of an existing tower, which was the original hospital’s main entrance. The existing structural columns were integrated into the new building’s fabric.
A modular solution was ideal for the live hospital environment with the project delivered on site in only 12 weeks. Site access was very tight resulting in all materials brought in on a gurney through an access corridor between two existing buildings.
Our role was to take the design from planning through to completion. We liaised with the local authority to discharge complex planning conditions and manage the building regulations submission. We prepared drawings for inclusion within legal documentation including phasing drawings, superstructure, site logistics and fire strategy. Working collaboratively using the SharePoint software, we shared our documents with the contractors and reviewed by the client.
We provided ongoing support throughout the time on site and reviewed contractor design information and commented for HTM compliance. We also attended the coordination meetings with the NHS Trust.
Grafton Road Extra Care Development – Staffordshire
Grafton Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire
Bowman Riley designed an extra care housing development at Grafton Road for local people with learning disabilities and additional physical or sensory impairment, currently living in inappropriate hospital accommodation. The site was selected following consultation with carers and relatives to ensure satisfactory amenity, convenience and access.
The 1380m² development accommodates two clusters of eight self-contained one bedroom flats together with ancillary accommodation commensurate with the 24 hour support the residents need.
As the residents have mobility problems, the requirement was for a single storey building with a layout is as compact as possible while allowing generous circulation areas. The internal spaces of the building are designed specifically to address the needs of users with limited mobility and are fully accessible to wheelchair users.
The scale of the single storey residential building raised significant design issues. To address these, the apparent bulk of the roof was mitigated using of a hipped roof form with varying ridge heights. Gable features with largely glazed elevations denote the communal spaces within the development and relieve the horizontal nature of the scheme.
There is potential for the scheme of this type to attract anti-social behaviour. To protect residents, the entrances and communal open spaces are located to minimise overlooking from passersby.
Deansfield Court Extra Care Facility – North Yorkshire
Yorkshire Housing
Malton, North Yorkshire
Bowman Riley designed Deansfield Court for Yorkshire Housing, a modern extra care residential facility that replaced a long-standing care home designed to respond to older people’s changing needs.
Aimed at those with health issues that make independent living more difficult but who do not need full residential care, this was a new concept for Yorkshire Housing to offer more support than sheltered housing but still allow residents to live independently.
Yorkshire Housing took over the residential care facility and adjacent housing stock from North Yorkshire County Council. Bowman Riley liaised with both parties to facilitate the transaction and to ensure that the new residential facility met the aspirations of the housing provider and its residents.
Deansfield Court provides 50 self-contained apartments with a communal lounge, restaurant, internet café, hair salon, therapy room, library and shop. The accommodation improved the levels of care and self-sufficiency for the residents. Five of the units were designed for wheelchair users and the building can accommodate power-assisted wheelchairs and buggies on all three floors.
Yorkshire Housing was keen to explore the alternative methods of design and construction on this development. As a result, the building was designed using timber-framed panel systems.
Ten years after completion and Deansfield Court has a waiting list proving the success and popularity of this extra care scheme. Danny Watson, Scheme manager, Yorkshire Housing said:
“It’s a popular scheme and we’re sending out applications forms every day to people who are interested. And I try to ensure that anybody who rings up can come and have a look around because it’s a selling point for them to see how lovely the building is.”
See more of our retirement communities.