What other awards has the project won?

The building has also won Sub-Regional Project of the Year and the Sustainability Award at the North West Regional Construction Awards, Best Architectural Design for a Healthcare Facility at the Healthcare Design Awards and Best Public or Community Building in the North West at the LABC Building Excellence Awards 2026 among others.

How does the building support patient and staff wellbeing?

The design brings together bright wards, family spaces, landscaped gardens and breakout areas for colleagues. Curved corridors and open spaces offer an alternative to traditional healthcare design, while helping connect people with nature. Together, these features create calm, dignified environments for patients and colleagues.

What does ‘net zero carbon in operation’ mean?

It means the building’s day to day operations, including heating, cooling, lighting and power, result in zero net carbon emissions, achieved through energy efficiency and sustainable design solutions.

What impact does this project have on the NHS and future hospitals?

The Countess of Chester Hospital project proves that net zero hospitals are achievable while also prioritising patient wellbeing and staff retention.

Awards

Celebrating another award win for the Countess of Chester Hospital Women and Children’s Building at Building Better Healthcare Awards 2026

by AHR

Min Read

The building won Best Healthcare Development over £75m, recognising the collaborative approach that placed patient experience, clinical excellence and sustainability at the heart of the design.

The award celebrates outstanding new build and refurbishment healthcare projects that demonstrate excellence in design, construction, delivery and operational performance.

The project provided a unique opportunity to rethink how care is delivered across the hospital, creating a modern, resilient environment designed around the health, safety and wellbeing of the people who use it every day. It brings maternity, neonatal and paediatric services together in a welcoming, integrated environment, supporting closer collaboration between clinical teams and more connected care for women, children and families.

A people-first design supporting better care and a more sustainable future

Over three years, the project team worked with 14 clinical teams, patients, parents and community groups to shape the design. The 180-bed building is now home to more than 500 colleagues and serves 2,300 families each year. By bringing services together, the building has transformed clinical pathways and supported more integrated team working, with the design reflecting many of the recommendations outlined in NHS maternity and neonatal care reviews to support safer, more family-centred and collaborative models of care. The project has also delivered £27m in social value, creating more than 300 local jobs and 1,500 apprentice weeks.

Along with this, the building was the first in England to be approved under the NHS Net Zero Building Standard. Its all-electric design, high performance fabric and low carbon materials achieve 25% lower embodied carbon than the NHS standard requires, while saving 220 MWh of operational energy each year.

A maternity suite with views out the window showing trees and greenery.

People walking up and down the staircase in the entrance to the Women and Children's Building.

A place centred on dignity, privacy and patient wellbeing

Challenging traditional expectations of hospital design

A place centred on dignity, privacy and patient wellbeing

Challenging traditional expectations of hospital design

This recognition is another milestone in the project’s continued success, celebrating the shared ambition of AHR and the wider project team to create healthcare environments that supports exceptional care, long term wellbeing and better experiences for patients, families and staff.

Explore more about our multi-award winning project here

Frequently asked questions

: The building has also won Sub-Regional Project of the Year and the Sustainability Award at the North West Regional Construction Awards, Best Architectural Design for a Healthcare Facility at the Healthcare Design Awards and Best Public or Community Building in the North West at the LABC Building Excellence Awards 2026 among others.
: The design brings together bright wards, family spaces, landscaped gardens and breakout areas for colleagues. Curved corridors and open spaces offer an alternative to traditional healthcare design, while helping connect people with nature. Together, these features create calm, dignified environments for patients and colleagues.
: It means the building’s day to day operations, including heating, cooling, lighting and power, result in zero net carbon emissions, achieved through energy efficiency and sustainable design solutions.
: The Countess of Chester Hospital project proves that net zero hospitals are achievable while also prioritising patient wellbeing and staff retention.