October 24 2018

Formal plans for further expansion of Inverness Campus have been brought forward with the submission of plans for a healthcare and life sciences hub.

Spearheaded by NHS Highland, University of the Highlands & Islands and Highlands & Islands Enterprise the Centre for Health Science 2 seeks to integrate clinical care and academic research with commercial opportunities.

Each partner will bring their own contributions to the shared project; an elective care centre, innovation hub and business incubator respectively which will serve the whole region.

To be delivered by Balfour Beatty, Oberlanders, Hulley Kirkwood and Mott MacDonald the facility will slot into a wider campus masterplan structured around shared parkland.

Explaining how the conflicting demands of privacy and collaboration would be handled the team wrote in an accompanying design and access statement: “The building form has been shaped by function, flow and adjacencies and effectively locates the patient wing at the north, the clinical area in the centre and the health innovation and research hub at the south. It is essential that the various elements of the building are connected and this is facilitated through an axial route which runs the length of the primary east elevation overlooking Beechwood Park.”

Priority has been given to locally sourced materials for the build with Caithness stone at ground level joined by Siberian larch, anodized effect metal panels and standing seam metal roofing.
 

3 Comments

#1 Posted by buzzthedog on 24 Oct 2018 at 21:39 PM

The building is so 'distant' that it is impossible to judge what it is like. Why would anyone in their right mind create graphic images like the bottom two that consist almost entirely of soulless tarmac, white road markings and desolate verges? Is this to deflect attention from the buildings themselves?

#2 Posted by Mr. Eye on 25 Oct 2018 at 08:55 AM

#1 I assume the tarmac is more interesting than the building itself then.

There were smaller contract awarded recently to connect the Campus with shopping centre across new bridge over train line. Bus/pedestrian/cyclist prioritised, fills the gap in local streets network.

#3 Posted by John Glenday on 25 Oct 2018 at 09:19 AM

There are close-up views from the consultation here https://www.urbanrealm.com/news/7608/Public_have_their_say_on_revised_Inverness_health_science_hub.html

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