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Medical Projects
The Fetal Medicine Research Institute
RIBA and Architects Journal Retrofit Award Winner.
The Fetal Medicine Research Institute is a purpose-built facility for research in fetal medicine and new home for King's College Hospital, Harris Birthright Suite.
Completed in 2016, this project remains a benchmark for architectural vision transforming healthcare delivery. A21 integrated the facility behind a sensitive Victorian façade retention. Partly due to the facade retention the project achieved BREEAM excellent certification.
Taking a rigorous analysis of the NHS building standards as the starting point, the design developed in close collaboration with an array of stakeholders including, Doctors, Midwives, department heads, Infection Control, Building & Facilities departments.
Community & Wellbeing
A21 worked closely with Professor Kypros Nicolaides to develop the FMRI design. The proposals were designed to reinforce the ethos of the department externalising the world-class care and ambition that it embodies.
A21 believe that community integration and high-quality directly enhance healthcare delivery and patient experience, boosting staff morale and retention.
Our designs prioritize natural light, acoustics, and dignity. By establishing design principles early, we allow for analysis, review, and refinement, ensuring compliance & beauty are built-in from the start.
Great design doesn’t have to cost more, as long as its well communicated & intelligently built-in to the tender. This requires informed analysis and the detailed development of the proposals, that architects are uniquely able to deliver.
Compliance & Delivery
A21architects aligns stakeholders; by presenting clear, data-rich information, enabling rapid, objective approvals for novel solutions. This coordinated approach prevents late changes and incomplete briefs, ensuring a fully coherent design tender that minimises risk and delivers quality.
Smart Maintenance; A21 can specify O&M, maintenance and scheduling as required, such as SFG20 directly into the architect’s specification. Tell us what you need and we can find the best way to incorporate your requirements with the Tender process.
A21architects demands best outcomes from the wider consultant team, our active coordination approach means we use our experience to push engineers for the best solutions in each case.
Low Energy & Embodied Carbon
As certified Passivhaus designers, A21 can use the established EnerPHit and Passive House standards to upgrade existing buildings for certified ultra-low energy performance. Early technical detailing & design data produce proposals that are objectively more energy efficient and more comfortable than normal standards.
Architects Have the Tools to Meet Net Zero Targets
Adaptive Reuse, Retrofit and Lifecycle Verification; A21 produce the specific documentation and proof required to measure carbon savings against "normal practice". By conducting comparative assessments to demonstrate measurable improvement.
Lean Design and Material Substitution; A21 untilses proprietary databases of specialist low-carbon construction materials to guide specification. This allows us to systematically substitute materials with lower-carbon alternatives.
