Maggie’s Oldham

Maggie’s asked for a safe and welcoming space; an un-institutional building more akin to a house to be built in the grounds of the Royal Oldham Hospital. Visitors were to feel encouraged and not daunted, inspiring them to draw on strengths they may not have known they had in order to cope. The centre was to be carefully designed around the comfort and wellbeing of its occupants, offering a place of calm and respite in a non-medicalised environment despite being in a hospital location.

On entering, the visitor is met with space, light and unexpected views down to the garden below, up to the sky, and out to the Pennines.

The building is arranged with the Pennine horizon view to the north and kitchen with terrace to the south. Consultation rooms, toilets and staff rooms are contained in a ‘thick wall’ to the east. The plan is open but offers privacy for each of the many overlapping functions.

Following on from dRMM, AHEC and Arup’s development of tulipwood CLT in our experimental project, Endless Stair, we have used this sustainable material for Maggie’s Oldham.

All of the internal walls are of an exposed wood structure and form an exquisite natural finish. The tulipwood CLT has been detailed to bring out its beauty – its fine, variegated finish is more like a piece of furniture than a construction material. The slatted ceiling was created from wood offcuts from the CLT fabrication process, ensuring no waste.

As those undergoing chemotherapy sometimes feel pain on touching cold objects, oak rather than metal door handles have been used. Wood fibre insulation ensures a breathable, healthy environment whilst the huge window frames are American white oak.

Externally the building is draped in custom-fluted, thermally modified tulipwood, like a surreal theatrical curtain.

The centre was fully funded by the Stoller Charitable Trust and delivered to a stringent budget and timescale. The success of the completed building is testament to the collaborative nature of how we worked with the client, contractor, consultants, subcontractors and suppliers on the project.

The end result is a delight to the senses, yet economical, efficient and highly sustainable. The client and users adore the building, allowing them to work in ways they had not anticipated. And with over 400 visits a week, its success and importance is clear and ongoing.