NHS to get its first passive building

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Detailed life cycle costing shows that this passive house building will save the NHS nearly £1m in running costs over the 25 years after construction, according to the architects.

The development is expected to cost £3.3m and will be constructed using an offsite modular system from Portakabin. The project is a partnership between Community Health Partnerships (CHP), NHS Coventry, and Coventry & Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The building will be certified to BREEAM Excellent and heated with an air source heat pump. There will be also charging points for electric cars, secure cycle parking, and a solar photovoltaic array.

Designed to meet the needs of an expected 10,000 local patients, Tooley & Foster state that the facility will maximise natural light and boast an attractive timber and render exterior.

“The building’s strong identifiable frontage provides visitors with a sense of arrival while being respectful towards its surroundings,” the architects state.

The building will feature five consulting rooms, two treatment rooms and ancillary accommodation including waiting and reception areas.

“This is a very exciting project which has taken a huge amount of effort to bring to a conclusion,” said CHP’s chief commercial officer, Malcolm Twite. He added that the building would make a contribution towards reducing the carbon footprint of England’s healthcare sector, estimated to be 4-5% of national emissions