Prestigious design commendation for NNUH

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital will later this week be commended for the quality of its design by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).

The £229 million hospital is on a shortlist of eight buildings in England for the CABE and Office of Government Commerce (OGC) sponsored Prime Minister’s Better Public Building award.

The final winner will be declared on October 23 at the British Construction Industry Awards dinner. And on October 18, Norwich South MP Charles Clarke will present the hospital trust with a plaque from CABE and OGC commending the hospital’s design and the achievement of making the shortlist for the PM’s award.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) is up against King’s Lynn’s Juniper House, Bristol’s City Learning Centre, Doncaster Earth Centre’s Castle View, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Peel Centre’s Memorial Gardens, Hendon, London, Tamar Bridge, Plymouth and Sheffield’s Persistence Works. Last year’s winner was Tate Modern, London.

Jon Rouse, CABE's chief executive said: 'I am delighted that one of the eight short listed entries is the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. We need examples of well-designed healthcare buildings to demonstrate what can and should be achieved. This is the largest public building to be developed in Norfolk and has been designed and developed using the Private Finance Initiative as a procurement route, but with a strong emphasis on effective use of design and technology. The design makes good use of natural light and incorporates courtyards and gardens.'