A planning application has been submitted for a flagship new cancer centre in South Wales.

The proposed Velindre Cancer Centre is being designed to be the most-sustainable healthcare development in the UK to date, as well as creating a more-welcoming and therapeutic environment for patients, staff, and visitors.

The scheme is being delivered by the ACORN consortium, led by developer and investor, Kajima, and also including Sacyr, Abrdn, Andrew Scott, Kier Facilities Services, White Arkitekter, Arup, MJ Medical, Turley, Studio Response, Camlins Landscape Architects, Osborne Clarke, Operis, and Confab Lab.

A circular economy

ACORN has recently submitted a Reserved Matters planning application to Cardiff Council which includes details such as building design and landscaping plans.

Richard Coe, project director at Kajima, said: “We are really pleased to have submitted detailed plans for the Velindre Cancer Centre, which is set to become the UK’s most-sustainable hospital.

Our plans are the result of close collaboration with the trust and its staff and patients, with the result being a cancer centre that is designed to serve South Wales for generations to come

“The buildings are designed with circular economy principles, using low-carbon materials and making a minimal impact on the surrounding countryside.

“Our plans are the result of close collaboration with the trust and its staff and patients, with the result being a cancer centre that is designed to serve South Wales for generations to come.”

Sustainability is key

The design and landscape strategy aim to keep the site as wild as possible by retaining existing habitats and creating new habitats alongside landscaped spaces such as an orchard, and community kitchen garden.

The scheme also seeks to create informal play areas and a variety of walking, cycling, and relaxation areas.

According to the plans, patients and visitors will arrive through the entrances directly into a ‘Lolfa’ welcoming hall, which feeds into a variety of spaces including a patient transport waiting area, young person’s lounge, and a café/restaurant.

Designed to comply with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 the design approach to façades means internal spaces can be easily reconfigured without the need for costly structural alterations, enabling the building to respond to space requirements of future innovation in treatment and equipment.

And it is being designed to achieve a minimum BREEAM sustainability rating of ‘Excellent’, utilising low embodied carbon, bio-based materials including timber for the Lolfa, radiotherapy, and waiting areas.

Natural materials

Natural internal materials such as lime and clay renders which are breathable, flexible, and anti-fungal are also proposed.

And construction of the all-electric building will focus on reducing site waste through offsite manufacture of components, minimising transportation, and creating greater efficiencies in the construction and maintenance of the building.

The combination of circular economy principles, low-carbon materials, and respect for the local landscape will make it the country’s most-sustainable hospital, where the environment is designed to support and complement patients’ medical treatment

In addition, sustainable urban drainage systems will be integrated that focus on ‘roof to river’ with minimal below-ground pipes, together with a swale network and retention pond.

Another key element of the plans is the creation of an IMPACT Community Benefits Delivery Plan which will see local jobs created,

apprentices trained, school pupils engaged, and substantial community initiatives and engagement.

Michael Woodford, London studio director at White Arkitekter, said: “The plans for Velindre Cancer Centre represent a huge step forward for healthcare provision in the UK.

“The combination of circular economy principles, low-carbon materials, and respect for the local landscape will make it the country’s most-sustainable hospital, where the environment is designed to support and complement patients’ medical treatment.”