Transforming a hospital into a new community with two world-class mental health facilities, new homes, a school, a care home, and more

Springfield Village

With an urban and landscape design centred on physical and mental health, Springfield Village aspires to break down the stigma faced by those struggling with mental health. As a member of the Sir Robert McAlpine design team, we led the landscape-focused regeneration on the grounds of Springfield University Hospital into a new community.

Our landscape design carefully considered the environmental impacts of materials. Demolition materials have been reused where possible and incoproated within the community. Old hospital bricks comprise the new 4,000-seat ampitheatre that helps entertain and connect the community. Green walls, roofs, trees, and shrubs bring residents closer to nature. Through close collaboration with the local council and wider design team, we were able to preserve trees and the existing landscape, boosting the overall biodiversity of the site, benefitting residents and wildlife in the area.

The wellbeing of Springfield’s vulnerable residents was a priority from the start, and early engagement helped to carefully sequence construction phases to minimise disruptions. The community remained at the heart of the development, working in conjunction with the team to consider budget constraints and inform design, including a park with facilities to suit all age ranges, from a youth shelter designed through a student competition and a teen play mound to a pavilion and sensory and community gardens.

Now Springfield Village, the community offers 890 homes, a park, two world class mental health facilities, a school, a care home, and community facilities. Other new features encourage exercise, outdoor activity, and community integration.