Bryden Wood at 25

Current projections, even those that include vast expansion of renewable energy generation, show that fossil fuels will still make up the majority of world energy use by the middle of this century.

‘There are nurses backwards and forwards...consultants....and although you can feel that a lot is going on, it’s still calm.’.This last sentiment is one echoed by GP Liaison Abby Wilkinson, who adds that it’s nice for staff members to be able to come down and work in the atrium sometimes, away from the hustle and bustle.

‘If they need to crack on with something, they can in a quiet corner if there’s not many patients in,’ she says.‘It’s quite nice to sit down there and have a conversation if you want to.’.Indeed, the atrium sets the tone for what is undeniably one of Circle Reading’s key architectural features - space.

‘Everything about this place is space,’ says Raj Goel.‘There’s nice space everywhere.’.

The facility generously houses five theatres, thirty inpatient and twenty day case beds, fifteen consulting rooms and an extensive rehabilitation department.

Describing the process of layout design for the hospital, Wood notes that the more Bryden Wood understood about the hospital and its patients, the more they were able to ‘codify their operations, their adjacencies and their spaces…’ He discusses the fact that Bryden Wood were able to benefit from a considerable amount of consultation and direct input from the professionals who were actually going to be using the facility.We ensure that these additional tests are specified to ensure compliance and avoid high velocity air supply grilles near fume cupboards, and we always design labs containing fume cupboards to BS 14175..

Architectural requirements for lab design.The laboratory design architect’s role does not end with laying out the laboratory equipment.

It’s important to work with the client team to agree the lab furniture and necessary finishes, as there may be specific Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements or chemical properties which can dictate the solution..There are lots of specialists for lab furniture, with the lab users being a good resource for their preferred manufacturer or issues with their current furniture.