Ballymena Health Care

This project adds to an important collection of Healthcare buildings in Northern Ireland that stand together as an exemplary body of projects that serve as a model in terms of design and procurement. The award recognizes that such projects are particularly challenging given their technical and logistical complexity and, in the case of this project, the need to integrate into an established urban context. Derived from a robust and functional diagram, the assertive brick form is ameliorated through carefully judged adjustments to its massing – and whilst the original intent to occupy the glazed area adjacent to the entrance with more public function was not fulfilled, the new building does contribute positively to the town and immediate environs, and provides a collection of bright internal spaces and rooms which are well used and enjoyed by the local community. Externally, simple and controlled detailing corresponds with an assured and restrained selection of materials, resulting in a building that has the potential to endure and develop as a key element of the town’s public realm.