Treatment centre finished ahead of schedule

The contract, awarded by AMEC, was for a 3,300 m2 rainscreen-clad modular building at St Mary's Hospital in Portsmouth. Developed and operated by Mercury Health in partnership with Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust, the centre is a key part of the Government's drive to reduce patient waiting times by radically increasing capacity in the NHS.

The St Mary's NHS Treatment Centre will carry out around 6,500 day surgery procedures, more than 10,000 diagnostic investigations and up to 50,000 attendances at its minor injuries unit and walk-in centre every year.

The two-storey facility was manufactured off-site in York using Yorkon's steel-framed modular building system, reducing the programme time to just 42 weeks. Seventy-two modules were craned into position in 10 days, providing a watertight envelope for fitting out only 12 weeks after start on site.

Designed by AMEC in conjunction with Nightingale Associates, the building features a bespoke envelope of cedar cladding at ground floor level, horizontal bands of windows, white rendering and light grey ceramic granite to add interest at either end of the building.