October 24 2018

NHS Highland have filed a planning application for a new community hospital at Broadford on the isle of Skye, part of a wider reorganization of health and social care services.

The £15m facility is a joint project by Oberlanders, Wardell Armstrong and Rural Design Architects through Hub North with a brief to help unify community health and care teams.

Located between the Dr Mackinnon Memorial Hospital and Broadford Health Centre the building will include A&E, X-ray and maternity departments alongside in-patient and out-patient services.

In their design statement both practices wrote: “The east and west facades, together with the roof form a single “wrapped” facade in zinc and timber cladding. This distinctive form is clearly emphasised at the gable elevations. The south gable combines render and timber cladding, creating a material relationship with the health centre. A patient sitting area is located on this elevation at first floor level. A raised solid balustrade provides privacy, whilst allowing distant views over Broadford Bay to the east.

“The ground floor areas are designed with smaller scale architectural elements to the east and west of the entrance. Vertical timber screens create privacy internally, but also add texture to the facades. A coloured “ribbon” acts as a signaling device and leads pedestrian visitors towards the entrance from the south.”

The full business case for the hospital, as well as a sister hospital in Aviemore, will be presented to government ministers early next year.

12 Comments

#1 Posted by Dave on 24 Oct 2018 at 13:14 PM

That is one hideous looking building. Its really going to stick out like a sore thumb over Broadford Bay

#2 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 24 Oct 2018 at 14:05 PM

Not a fan -- I now understand how some of the disasters of the 60's made it off the drawing board.

Daring to be different in a changing world meant that quite a few horrors made it through.

This design will blight the landscape for 40 years until the money can be found to pull it down -- disastrous.

#3 Posted by boaby wan on 24 Oct 2018 at 14:43 PM

usually you would trust Rural Design to get the design right but it doesn't look like the skill set transfers across sectors too well. (although talla na mara is a cracker)
Looks like a concept diagram has been bashed in for planning

#4 Posted by Frank Jones on 24 Oct 2018 at 17:17 PM

Some locals weren't happy that it isn't getting built in Portree, but one of the main things you need to consider for a hospital is the proximity to a runway for air ambulances, this location is 10 minutes drive from the runway, Portree is 40 minutes drive away, that could be the difference between life and death.

#5 Posted by Steve on 24 Oct 2018 at 17:25 PM

Agree - Rural have some nice smaller projects (some stinkers too though) and usually do well at the smaller scale. But their larger stuff is just really not that good

#6 Posted by Angus on 24 Oct 2018 at 17:34 PM

@#4 Frank - agreed. New hospital also needs to serve other areas not on Skye, as far away as Applecross and beyond, not just Portree. Broadford may not be the main town but its the most central point for the catchment area

#7 Posted by Pleasantfield on 25 Oct 2018 at 13:18 PM

Zinc cladding in a coastal location? That will not do well.

#8 Posted by Sue Pearman on 25 Oct 2018 at 13:51 PM

Ooft - mansard mania!
I would have hoped for better from Rural Design but it's difficult to know who has the upper hand in the design of this and one can't help suspecting that Oberlanders could be pushing them around a bit.

#9 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 25 Oct 2018 at 13:58 PM

Does the architecture profession in Scotland have a terminal case of Group Think / herd instinct at the moment?

There currently only seem to be two design trends in circulation at the moment for public buildings -- White column style vertical or profile sheeting tattie sheds.

In comparison Big Auto seems to cover a lot more ground even though it is up against a much more onerous certification workload.

#10 Posted by wee senga on 26 Oct 2018 at 11:20 AM

It's designed by a committee.....of course it's a camel!

#11 Posted by Inahuf on 27 Oct 2018 at 22:52 PM

What happened to the nice timber design https://www.watermangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Skye-Lochalsh-South-West-hospital.jpg ??? Looks like a scary shed....

#12 Posted by Oor Wooly on 29 Oct 2018 at 10:04 AM

As my Gran would have said - looks like a skelpit airse!

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