Velindre Cancer Centre (VCC) is the largest of three clinical oncology centres in Wales and one of the ten largest regional clinical oncology centres in the United Kingdom. The hospital is at a tipping point with its ageing accommodation becoming less capable of meeting current healthcare standards and accommodating new technologies.  The Trust plans to build a new 33000m2 hospital on a greenfield site, north of the existing estate - a truly sustainable building, capable of adaptation and repurposing throughout its lifetime with sustainability an integral part of every stage of the design and construction process. 

This design has been developed for the Trust to capture the brief’s design intention and to achieve discharge of reserved matters for planning permission.   

The hospital will provide Radiotherapy and Systemic anti-cancer therapy (chemotherapy) as well as extensive diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine and outpatient services. It has inpatient accommodation for 50 patients. 

JCA identified six important design objectives:

1. A healthy building – a well tempered, well-designed and healthy environment that also addresses the wider community responsibilities.

2. A Sustainable Building – the aim is to become the greenest hospital in the UK. The hospital is composed of 3 buildings that are all organized on a standard grid 8.4m, using standard key rooms, to facilitate MMC. To minimize embedded carbon, timber will be used where possible. Soft administrative areas provide flexibility and the design includes expansion area of 15%.

3. The integration of clinical and architectural design - Equal focus shall be on the design strategy for the building and the public spaces and the interior design of clinical areas. There must be architecture in the clinical planning of key departments.  

4. Giving back control - The physical design should counter loss of control many cancer patients feel upon diagnosis.

5. Use daylight as a primary design criterion - all departments must have high levels of daylight penetration, reflected within its aspirations for sustainability and staff well-being.

6. Integrate the buildings and the landscape - while developing a site that provides a therapeutic environment, we are determined to create a campus that is of real worth for the patients, the staff and, as importantly, the local community.