Healthcare in the City

Last year our Healthcare team completed an exciting project to refurbish the First Floor of a commercial skyscraper in the Canary Wharf District of London to create an outstanding new outpatient’s department for a private client.

After recently having the opportunity to head back to take some completion photos, we spoke to Project Architect Blair Luther-Veitch about the project.

Can you describe the scope and ambition of the project?

The project aimed to transform an empty first-floor commercial space into a contemporary outpatient imaging centre offering primary care, outpatient nursing, and state-of-the-art diagnostic services including MRI, X-ray, mammography, and ultrasound. The design brief called for a sensitive yet high-performing fit-out, converting a corporate shell into a welcoming, efficient, and clinically precise healthcare environment.

One of the project’s ambitions was to align the new facility with the client’s evolving brand and clinical design standards. We worked with their marketing team to subtly influence and interpret these design quality benchmarks, allowing the space to reflect a forward-looking identity while remaining responsive to the demands of technical healthcare planning.

By repurposing an existing open-plan office space within a modern glazed tower, we have also significantly reduced the embodied carbon typically associated with new construction making the project inherently sustainable.

What technical challenges did you face?

The ‘adaptive reuse’ nature of the project came with unique challenges—most notably, the logistics of installing two MRI scanners into a First Floor space. These were craned into place through a temporary opening in the curtain walling, requiring meticulous structural coordination. A great example of the kind of architectural problem-solving that healthcare retrofit projects like this require.

The project also provided an opportunity for the team to lean on all of our expertise in imaging-led healthcare environments. The technical demands of acoustic isolation, electromagnetic shielding, and equipment integration were heightened by the commercial nature of the base building. Gaining this hands-on experience in balancing technical requirements with spatial and experiential quality will greatly benefit our delivery of similar projects in the future.

What were your key design considerations in creating such a high-quality environment for patients and staff?

Understanding and responding to the desired patient journey has been central to our design approach. A light-filled first-floor reception welcomes visitors into the space upon arrival and the circulation wraps efficiently around the building’s core, allowing for intuitive wayfinding and operational flexibility. Each corner of the floorplate has been utilised for patient waiting and consultation areas. Designed to be open, spacious, and to allow natural light to flood the spaces, with expansive views across Canary Wharf’s green spaces, the River Thames, and London’s skyline beyond – these spaces can help to put patients at ease and feel comfortable in their surroundings.

What does this project represent for you and your client?

In designing the new Canary Wharf facility, we’ve not only delivered a highly complex healthcare environment within a high-end commercial context—we’ve also helped shape a new chapter for our client’s healthcare presence within London. To me, this project represents an outstanding example of adaptive reuse, technical excellence, and patient-centred design, all set within one of London’s most dynamic neighbourhoods.

Visit our Healthcare Portfolio to see more of our project work.