Be Lean (passive): minimise the use of energy via passive design measures such as optimised form, orientation and window-to-wall ratio (WWR); design energy efficient facades that incorporate thermal insulation, high airtightness, external shading and solar control glazing; use of natural ventilation and thermal mass and design transitional spaces and low thermal expectation spaces.. Be Lean (active): minimise the use of energy via energy efficient lighting (LED, daylight and presence control sensors) and ventilation systems (demand control ventilation, low SFPs, heat recovery); use technologies such as waste-water heat recovery and specify energy efficient lifts and appliances/equipment.. Be Clean: connect to district heating networks that have plans for decarbonisation; explore plans and feasibility of local hydrogen district networks.. Be Green: use onsite low and zero carbon technologies such as air source heat pumps (ASHP), ground source heat pumps (GSHP), photovoltaic panels, solar collectors for domestic hot water and wind generation among others.. Be Smart: implement innovative technologies such as electric batteries, heat storage, post-occupancy evaluation and develop smart-metering systems..

The three used predominantly for orthopaedic surgery have laminate floors and special ventilation systems providing ultra clean air, which Goel describes as ‘perfect.’ He also enthuses about how having images of x-rays on the computer system, enables them to be projected onto a television screen on the wall.On a more personal note, he enjoys the ability to put music on.

‘Everywhere else, I have to take my own box because they don’t have sound,’ he says, ‘so that’s quite nice.’.Maswiken also talks about the benefits of the lighting flexibility, with the ability to dim the lights or increase lumination, which he says provides options depending on the type of surgery being conducted.‘Particularly if you’re doing laparoscopic work,’ he says, ‘you might need to dim the light a bit to give the surgeon a better view of the images, so in that way it works very well.’ He also speaks about how lucky he feels to have windows in some of the theatres.

It’s quite an advantage,’ he says, ‘Because, just imagine, I’ve been in theatres all day and it helps at times, just to be able to reconnect a bit with the outside.’.This theme of bringing a sense of the outside into the internal hospital space is another picked up by multiple staff members.

‘I think for the patients on the ward the nice thing is that all of our bedrooms have their own windows that look out to an internal courtyard,’ says Highton.

‘So they all have a natural element to them.We want to create the change our industry needs – and do it from within our industry.

We don’t want to be disrupted by big tech, caught out like the music industry was by iTunes….Architects are important, but haven’t always been very good at making it obvious how important we are, and why.

Over the last decades, the profession has been fragmented and whittled away – losing influence and impact and getting tied up in bureaucratic systems and approaches that have more to do with easing procurement and dispersing risk than with getting the best results for clients.. We believe that the role of the architect is – or should be – pivotal to the success of built environment projects.That’s what the job is – or should be – and architects should be allowed to do their job to the best of their abilities.