Projects
Basildon Hospital New Building – Essex
Bowman Riley designed a new two-storey modular building at the front of Basildon Hospital for Noviniti to provide much-improved entrance and welcome facilities for patients, staff and visitors.
The huge project will overhaul the existing entrance, which has not been changed since the hospital opened in 1972, offering more facilities and a brighter welcome. The new building offers a new restaurant, a faith a dedicated seating area, a new bereavement and PALS suite, a refurbished multi-faith room, a new administration space and new shops.
Our design used bronze cladding at the front as a stand-out feature to highlight the entrance to the hospital. The remainder of the building will be buff-coloured cladding, creating a soft aesthetic to blend in with the surrounding bare breeze block façade buildings surrounding the tight site.
A particular challenge was the adjacency of the existing hospital building. We designed a section of the proposed development to be cantilevered at ground level over the basement of the existing building in liaison with the structural engineers.
The building was designed from the outset to be modular, enabling the building to be constructed off-site. This method reduces the time and impact of the construction works on the hospital’s operations.
Jonathan Dunk, chief commercial officer at the mid and south Essex NHS Trust, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with our new commercial partners on delivering this crucial improvement for Basildon Hospital. The new two-storey building will create a safer, more welcoming and modern main entrance that will meet the needs of our patients, staff and the local community for many years to come.”
Basildon hospital will also benefit from a redesigned road layout that will make it easier for traffic to get on and off-site. Construction on the new entrance will start early next year, with construction due to be completed by late 2022.
Read articles about this project in the media.
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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.
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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.
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Northampton General Hospital Entrance
Noviniti
Northampton
Bowman Riley has designed a new modular building to house the main entrance and a series of welcome facilities for patients, staff and visitors located on the car parking area in front of the Northampton General Hospital.
The existing hospital building is difficult to navigate with the reception in the centre of the building and cafe/retail spaces scattered around the building. It was decided that the new building will house a new main entrance to the hospital with a reception alongside welcome amenities including coffee shops and retail units, patient advice and liaison office and washrooms. To future proof the building, it was designed to accommodate an additional storey above the entrance.
The use of modular construction has ensured minimal time on site and disruption to the hospital’s operations whilst still achieving a factory-controlled quality. We have been working in partnership with Catfoss, a modular specialist, who is developing an ICU ward alongside the new entrance building in a similar style to match our design. This coordination will create a cohesive overall aesthetic across the developments.
The project comprised extensive infrastructure works to improve access to the hospital. The works include improved lighting, landscaping, a raised pedestrianised crossing from the parking area, the diversion and relocation of the existing roadway and improvements to nearby car-parking areas to retain the overall car parking numbers.
“We are really excited to be building a new entrance to the hospital site to provide a better experience for our staff, patients and visitors. This new development will provide us with more space than our existing entrance and means that we can also offer a new range of retail outlets for people to enjoy.”
Stuart Finn, Director of Estates & Facilities, Northampton General Hospital
Read more about the project.
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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.
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.
Leeds Dental Institute Refurbishment – University of Leeds
University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Leeds, West Yorkshire
Leeds Dental Institute is operated as a partnership between the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals to support the training of dental care professionals.
Bowman Riley was engaged to design, manage and administer the complex and fast-track reorganisation and refurbishment of the Institute based in Level 5 of the 1979 Worsley Building, one of the largest buildings in Leeds city centre.
The aim of the project was to provide state-of-the art dental facilities to meet the latest clinical standards, improve flexibility between departments and provide new equipment and upgraded technologies. The project comprised the relocation of radiology and acute dental care, the replacement and improvement of dental chairs, equipment and clinical cubicles, the improvement of circulation and flexibility between departments and the improved space utilisation maximising the number of dental cubicles available.
This multi-phased development was successfully delivered within a live clinical environment cognisant of the importance of sound proofing and dust reduction during the construction work to support infection control. A major challenge of the project was to minimise disruption to operations of the Institute and wider building users. The amount of available operating space was reduced during construction. To enable the Institute to operate effectively during construction, we introduced an innovative idea for the Institute to change their way of working by increasing the opening hours to a double shift for the project’s duration. As the Institute shares the plant and services with the entire building, part of our role was to liaise with the building user group to ensure the smooth development of the works.
NHS Six Facet Surveys – Across Yorkshire
Across Yorkshire
Bowman Riley was commissioned to undertake Six Facet Condition Surveys across a suite of NHS health centres in the Yorkshire region.
Undertaken by chartered building surveyors within a two week period, the Six Facet Condition Surveys recorded the buildings’ age and construction forms, analysed the condition and reported any defects on an elemental basis.
The survey information was used to obtain costings via Turner & Townsend to inform the expenditure and maintenance schedule for the health centres for two, five and 10-year plans.
Orchard Croft Medical Centre Extension
Orchard Croft Medical Centre
Horbury, Wakefield
Bowman Riley was commissioned by Orchard Croft Medical Centre through Solutions4Care under a traditional form of contract to provide the role of Principal Designer on the extension of an existing medical facility in the town of Horbury, near Wakefield.
Built in the 1970s, Orchard Croft Medical Centre had outgrown the existing building leading to medical staff working in areas that were no longer fit for purpose.
The challenge was to provide the new facilities to a limited capped public funding based on a set area agreed with the District Valuer.
The complex development required a unique design to achieve the exact area ratio to comply with District Valuer standards. Building information modelling (BIM) and Revit Architecture was adopted for this project, which added value in terms of aiding the planning process and stakeholder understanding through 3D visualisations and helped ensure compliance with the District Valuer.
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