Inspired by a game, built to last

The £10.6 million, three-storey building in North London, which serves as a “one-stop shop” for a wide range of services, and includes rooms for general practice, dentistry, children’s services consulting, examinations, physiotherapy and audiology services, also houses an advanced breast cancer unit complete with digital screening – which Morgan Ashurst says has been shown to be more effective in detecting small abnormalities in breast tissue, improving the detection rates for small cancers. With breast cancer mortality rates in Camden Borough 23% higher than the national average, it is a vital facility for local residents. It is hoped the new facility will help substantially reduce deaths from breast cancer by encouraging a greater take-up of screening and the use of improved technology. Facilities for staff and the community, meanwhile, include conference rooms, a café, and a gym. This was the fourth NHS LIFT contract awarded to Morgan Ashurst by Camden and Islington Community Solutions (CICS) – a public / private partnership company. Morgan Ashurst has previously built health centres at Bingfield Street, Hanley Road, and a Partnerships Centre at Camden Road in London, with CICS, all for Islington PCT. The firm is construction partner on four other NHS LIFT frameworks across the UK.

Demanding timescales

This time the brief was particularly demanding, but Morgan Ashurst delivered the scheme on time and on budget. Project manager Keith Williams has been shortlisted as Project Manager of the Year in the Chartered Institute of Building Awards (CIOB); the project has been shortlisted for the Stirling Prize, and has already won an NHS Lift Award and an RIBA London Award for design. In November, the Centre also won the Award for Best Primary Care Design for projects with a value under £15 million at the 2009 Building Better Healthcare Awards. “Morgan Ashurst is used to delivering complex and challenging health projects,” says Keith Williams. “For example, we helped to build the £250 million University College Hospital in London, one of the biggest hospital projects in the Government’s PFI programme. “However, we learned a lot through Kentish Town because everything about the project was innovative and new. The design process was unique, the healthcare model is pioneering, and the building’s function extended far beyond simply treating sick people. This building was always intended to be an inspiring place, and we are extremely proud to have delivered that on a reasonable budget.”