A simple plan makes an appealing treatment centre

Northern Centre for Cancer Care & Renal Services Centre, Freeman Hospital

A new award-winning cancer care and renal services centre at Freeman Hospital is delivering treatment to a whole region. And, despite its size, this two-centre facility remains welcoming, legible, and uplifting.

How? We designed a low-rise building with a simple and shallow plan.

Each centre is organised around its own landscaped courtyard, though they share a main entrance and central spine of support services. An atrium runs the length of the building, helping people navigate from place to place and adding more natural light and outside views. Waiting areas for both centres are set up in cloisters around the courtyards. This arrangement offers patients the option of sitting with others or on their own.

The Northern Centre for Cancer Care is the main centre for Newcastle and the northeast of England, combining technology, therapy, accommodation, palliative care, and research. The Renal Services Centre includes a high-specification Haemodialysis Unit, hotel-quality patient rooms, and a dedicated outpatient suite.

All together, the Northern Centre for Cancer Care and Renal Services Centre has the sort of design that focuses on the needs of the patients. They deliver on that promise with expert care, the latest technology, and the right attitude.