Brent Birth Centre, Acton Lane, London, NW10
About the Project
- Principal designer: Barbara Weiss Architects
- Client: North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
- Principal contractor: The Buxton Group
- Principal engineer: Alan Conisbee and Associates
- Contract value: £3 million
Brent Birth Centre - the first in the UK built as a freestanding unit - combines antenatal services with a dedicated, midwife-led birthing unit. The aim is to provide a safe haven and relaxing environment for women opting for a non-clinical delivery.
The low-key and very private single-storey building wraps around a sheltered landscaped garden.
Antenatal facilities are housed in a rectangular structure that fronts a new public piazza and is clad in warm yellow brick; the birthing rooms are in a more linear and private wing that overlooks the enclosed garden.
A vaulted roof 'floats' over the antenatal waiting area, a monopitch roof over the birthing rooms, both clad in stainless steel, while unusual touches inside include double beds designed for partners.
The Birth Centre's success is marked by the sheer number of those who apply to give birth there, the enthusiasm of the staff, and its status as an NHS exemplar project.
The Judges said:
"The Brent Birth Centre is a well-delivered, value for money building which is finely crafted and homely. The treatment of natural light is innovative, breaking up what could have been boring, long corridors. Beautifully detailed."