Broadford Hospital

As the first health facility built in this community for over fifty-four years, the new Broadford Hospital combines previous services into one purpose-built community hospital, serving the communities of Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross, a population of around 14,300 that can swell to exceed 30,000 when tourism peaks.

The new Hospital’s design embraces its stunning location on the shore of Broadford Bay.  Looking towards the Skye Bridge, the exposure to the calm inducing views of the surrounding bay, maximises the benefit for patients, staff and visitors alike.  

Early stage and continual stakeholder engagement was critical to ensuring a coherent layout which supported the day-to-day clinical activity, all within the challenging context of accommodating multiple small departments from previous facilities into one combined space. 

Opposing the locations of outpatient facilities to the south and the emergency department to the north of the building, shaped the central location of the reception which provides a hub for patient and visitor wayfinding, lit from above by the main stair leading to the first-floor ward. 

The design response to the ground floor footprint being greater than the upper level was to angle the east façade to accommodate the mismatch, whilst avoiding extensive areas of vulnerable flat roof. Long building elevations together with the roof, form a single ‘wrapped’ zinc façade developed as a protective jacket for the building to cope with wind, rain and the coastal environment.  

Our BIM specialists worked closely with the client and contractor to tailor the BIM Level 2 outputs, saving time for the facilities maintenance team as they could seamlessly integrate COBie data into their management systems.  Clash detection was used to pre-empt and rectify any differences across plans, significantly reducing the risk of error arising on site.

As part of NHS Highland’s wider redesign of health and social care services, this project enhances the ambition to provide more accessible and community-based healthcare in the remote and rural areas and an increase in virtual assessment.

A design to BREEAM Excellent standards demanded focus on building sustainably, giving equal weighting to staff and patients.  The result is a building fit for the entire community.