Rural setting makes for harmonious surroundings

Ryder Architecture and NBBJ have collaborated on the design of the newly completed, and recently opened, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, as part of the High Wood Health consortium for NHS Dumfries and Galloway. The new 63,500 m2 replacement hospital is located on a greenfield site on the outskirts of the Scottish town of Dumfries, and includes 344 beds, day case and inpatient surgical suites, an emergency care centre, ambulatory care centre, and specialist oncology, maternity, and paediatric facilities. The opening of the new hospital came in time for the 70th Anniversary of the NHS this year. The £212 million healthcare facility is designed to meet the increasingly sophisticated healthcare needs of the region’s ageing population. It is conceived as a ‘garden hospital’, with a design focused on light and landscape made possible by its rural setting. The low-rise design, with pitched roofs, breaks up the mass of the building, allowing it to sit harmoniously within its surroundings. The design also creates 17 courtyards and gardens which function as places of rest and healing, as well as providing views from inside. The emphasis on outdoor spaces is based on scientific research that shows a connection between natural elements and positive health outcomes – including lower stress levels, reduced blood pressure, the need for patients to take less medication, and even faster healing times. 

Emphasis on natural light

The hospital is person-centred, considering staff as well as patients, and promoting an uplifting, positive experience for all who use the building. This is achieved through an emphasis on natural daylight and intuitive wayfinding throughout; the main entrance atrium is a welcoming civic space, lit from above by a long row of skylights, along with a large bay window providing sweeping views across the surrounding countryside.