Breast Imaging Unit
The relocation and redesign of a Breast Screening Unit, transforming a vacant space into a purpose-built facility with an efficient layout and a bright, welcoming interior.
| Sector | Healthcare |
|---|---|
| Cost | £1.2M |
| Role | Concept Architect, Project Manager, Interior Designer |
the brief
Relocate the Breast Screening Unit to a new site, creating a fully equipped, patient-friendly facility — carefully designed to streamline clinical workflows and provide a calming environment for patients.
what studio mode did
We were appointed as concept architect, project manager and interior designer for this intriguing project.
Our first task was to manage several enabling projects at the new site in order to free up the necessary space. We then worked closely with the clinical team to develop the brief and produce concept plans. Once approved, we project managed the detailed design of the unit, coordinating the design team through working drawings and specifications in collaboration with the hospital’s appointed P21 contractor.
We led liaison with the hospital’s estates, infrastructure and infection control teams—maintaining a firm grip on the design throughout, especially in relation to the precise location and detailing of the two wet processing areas.
During the eight-month on-site construction period, we worked day-to-day with the contractor, clerks of works and adjacent hospital teams through to handover. Finally, we project managed the physical move of the Breast Screening Unit from its previous hospital location to its new home.
The relocation gave us the opportunity to create a unit tailored to the department’s complex workflow. The users were closely involved throughout the design process and were delighted with the result. Patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
anything else?
Yes – we also designed a bright, colourful and uplifting interior. Floor patterns and light chutes were used to intuitively indicate the transition between patient and ‘staff only’ zones—without relying on physical barriers that typically restrict efficient movement between waiting rooms, mammography rooms and processing areas.
Our understanding of the department’s workflow and movement patterns allowed us to design a layout that was both highly efficient and visually welcoming.
“I had an appointment at the new unit and the new place was a real surprise. It’s really bright, and colourful. The staff were all saying how much they liked it because they’d been involved in the plans. It was really clean. Like everyone cares about the place.”
any tricky bits?
Plenty. First, the enabling projects at the new site were complex and varied. Second, the relocation itself posed a major challenge: the department still had to meet its annual breast screening targets despite the move.
We devised a day-by-day move schedule that involved the careful decommissioning, dismantling, specialist transportation, reassembly and recommissioning of the mammography machines. This was phased to allow the department to continue screening across two sites, with everything timed precisely in line with patient appointment letters.
We also coordinated the relocation and reinstallation of the wet processing system and its intricate computer infrastructure. A serious logistical feat.