Tolworth Hospital

Optimising the design approach for a public healthcare facility

Walsh worked with South West London St George’s NHS Trust and Sir Robert McAlpine from RIBA stage 2 on this NHS healthcare redevelopment project. We focused on delivering a lean and open design to help maximise the budget and give the Trust as much flexibility as possible to adapt the design as healthcare standards evolve.

This redevelopment of an existing mental health hospital site not only improves the existing facilities but creates greater permeability and more public space. It is a confined urban site and the new large frame building is constructed around the live hospital so minimising disruption and the programme is key.

In line with government and NHS Trust requirements, Walsh collaborated with the team on net zero carbon and MMC assessments, helping the Trust to choose the optimum scheme and construction approach whilst meeting the brief. An open, flexible layout has been designed with a simplified structural arrangement for speed of construction and future adaptability.

The site had a shallow existing Thames Water sewer running underneath that needed to be diverted. Due to the shallow sewer levels, our diversion design required extensive review and approval by Thames Water. We then secured buildover approvals over the new sewer.

As part of the public works, we have delivered S278 modifications to the highway access and local public transport links as well as relocating the zebra crossing to improve access.