Awards
We're celebrating two award wins for the Countess of Chester Hospital's Women and Children's Building
by Gareth Banks
Director, Architecture
The AHR-designed Women and Children's Building took home the Sustainability Award and Sub-Regional Project of the Year - Cheshire, Wirral and Warrington at the North West Regional Construction Awards.
As the first building in England approved under the NHS Net Zero Building Standard, this pioneering project sets a new national benchmark for low-carbon clinical care. We’re incredibly proud to celebrate this wonderful success alongside our trusted partners, including the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Integrated Health Projects (IHP), a joint venture between Vinci Construction UK and Sir Robert McAlpine and Ecospheric.
Leading the way in net zero carbon healthcare
To protect our planet while delivering exceptional clinical care, the new building was designed from the ground up to achieve net zero carbon in both construction and operation. To reduce embodied carbon, low-carbon concrete was specified for the piling and foundations, while an imaginative post-tensioned frame and slab system was used to minimise materials.
To ensure the facility runs entirely on clean, renewable energy, we designed a fully electric system powered by air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. Smart lighting, triple-glazed windows and a highly efficient ventilation system work together to reduce heat loss, successfully achieving an exceptional air tightness rating of 2.4.
Watch below as we explore in detail how a collaborative approach supported this achievement.
A warm and supportive space for the community
Our design prioritises health and wellbeing at every turn, ensuring families, patients and our NHS colleagues feel truly comfortable and supported. To provide a reassuring sense of privacy and comfort during their stay, patients can enjoy quiet single en-suite rooms, while families have access to peaceful shared spaces and seating for moments of quiet reflection.
We know that being in a hospital can often be a stressful experience, which is why we worked closely with our in-house interior design team to redefine what a clinical space feels like. To help people feel calm and at ease, transforming this physical environment was a central part of our design concept from day one.
To welcome people with a feeling of comfort from the moment they step through the doors, we chose a soft and soothing palette. To bring warmth and reassurance to children, we used gentle yellow tones in their areas, while soft lavender hues create a calm, private environment within gynaecology spaces.
Through thoughtful biophilic design, our design offers connections to nature through peaceful courtyards and terraces, providing quiet places for reflection and social connection for patients and healthcare teams.
To explore our design concept in more detail, visit our project case study
Shaping the future of care together
To make sure the new building meets the needs of the local community, we placed collaborative engagement at the very heart of our design process.
We worked closely alongside trust leadership, midwives, clinicians and estates teams through immersive and creative design sessions to build a genuine, shared understanding of the project’s goals.
Working with AHR has been an incredibly positive experience. From the outset, they genuinely listened to us and involved us in every step of the process. After waiting so long for a new building, seeing it completed and delivered on time is something we all feel really proud of."
Pippa Scott-Heale
Divisional Director Planned Care, The Countess of Chester HospitalWell done to the wider project team
This accomplishment is a wonderful collaborative achievement, and we want to extend our warmest thanks to everyone who helped make it happen. To make a lasting difference to the lives of people, communities and our planet, it takes a truly dedicated team and ours thoroughly enjoyed celebrating this special milestone alongside you.
To learn more about the Women and Children’s Building, or to explore how we can support your goals across the healthcare estate, we would love to chat. Get in touch
Frequently asked questions
To support healthcare trusts in meeting net zero carbon targets, we combine low-carbon building materials, renewable energy systems and smart technology. This allows us to deliver energy-efficient, future-ready environments that protect the environment and support patient recovery.
To create spaces that truly work for everyone, we engage deeply with clinicians, midwives and families from the very beginning. Immersive design workshops allow us to build a shared understanding of clinical needs, ensuring the final layout is safe, intuitive and supportive.
To promote healing and reduce stress, our designs incorporate natural daylight, views of nature and soothing colour schemes. These elements help patients feel comfortably reassured while helping our healthcare colleagues work in a calm, inspiring and productive environment.
To support the public sector across the full lifecycle of the built environment, we bring together a multidisciplinary team of architects, building surveyors and project managers. Our deep multisector expertise allows us to deliver complex, high quality developments that remain fully operational during construction.
Posted on:
Jul 3rd 2026
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