Exterior conveys PBT unit’s ‘prestige and importance’

Brian G Newell, founder and CEO of ventilated cladding system specialist, Shackerley, discusses the use of the company’s SureClad ceramic granite façade system at the new £100 million Proton Beam Therapy Centre at The Christie in Manchester

One of the constant challenges of designing and specifying buildings for healthcare environments is the need to combine the practical needs of the project with an aesthetic that communicates both high quality treatment and care, along with a welcoming environment. The need to meet that requirement is as critical when it comes to considerations for the external envelope façades as it is for the internal finishes, because patients and their families gain their first impressions of the facility as they approach the building. 

For cancer treatment centre environments, this design consideration is perhaps even more critical. Specialist centres of this nature are environments that people will visit when they are at their most vulnerable and apprehensive of what lies ahead, so specifying the building with colours and textures that soften the impact of the structure, and connect it with nature, can help to make patients’ first approach to the building less intimidating.