Birmingham Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry
Client: University of Birmingham, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, BaS Lift and Calthorpe Estate
Our Approach
Ambitious £50m Birmingham Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry - the first integrated, stand-alone dental hospital and school in the UK for almost 40 years.
The north block houses the School, laboratories, lecture theatres and the bridge and denture production. The south block hosts the clinical areas. They are separated by a stunning full length atrium, basking the building in natural sunlight.
Building users and stakeholders identified the provision of excellent daylight in all areas as an important success criterion. This is achieved using high ceilings and ample glazing with solar control.
This building uses exceptional passive elements, e.g. good thermal envelope, u-values and air tightness, to reduce the carbon footprint normally required by traditional buildings. The enhanced building envelope not only reduces the carbon footprint of the building, it reduces the size and amount of services that are normally required.
The emphasis on passive engineering extends to a heavyweight structure with exposed soffits which naturally stabilises internal temperatures.
We have also designed the largest displacement ventilation system in the UK, and the first to be specified throughout a healthcare facility.
The exciting new facility is equipped to treat over 120,000 patients a year in emergency dental care, dentistry and surgery, and features unrivalled state-of-the-art facilities in two blocks.
It is a design with low energy consumption and low carbon emissions, achieved by leading-edge passive design, high efficiency engineering services and a solar thermal array.
The project achieved BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
