Radiation Oncology Building Phase 1

The design scheme responds to the requirement for flexibility by placing a three-storey atrium at the core of the building which provides natural light and ventilation as well as a welcoming reception area around which the circulation is arranged. This configuration ensures a quality internal environment independent of the surrounding site conditions.

Externally the building is expressed as a solid stone clad box – a formally strong element which can be complementary to diverse settings from existing dense sites to open greenfield campuses.

At St James’s, the building is entered through a glazed lobby between two protected structures and internal links with the main hospital are maintained by wrapping a zinc-clad single storey link corridor around the new unit.

Internally wayfinding is very clear with a layer of treatment rooms and examination rooms around the perimeter of the building and a top-lit visiting area at the centre of the plan. The facilities are designed to achieve continuity of care for patients by creating a frictionless patient pathway within the radiotherapy departments. The overall layout and configuration allows for the seamless expansion and development of further radiation oncology facilities at St James’s without impact on NPRO or St James’s hospital services and operations.

The outcome is an efficient and carefully designed generic layout for radiation oncology services, capable of being adapted for use on many sites throughout the country, yet providing a warm, patient friendly and efficient internal environment reflecting the needs of the oncology patient end users.