Thrive Health and Wellbeing Centre, School of Health and Society

The building will form a key part of the wider University of Salford Campus Connectivity Plan (CCP). By tapping into the area’s unique potential as a hub for innovation and collaboration, we will support the overall aim to deliver a greener, smarter and more connected place to work and study.

The University's CCP is the major redevelopment of its research, teaching and public spaces and is the most ambitious development of its estate to date. The expansion is driven by the University’s goal to unite education, industry and innovation.

Full of opportunity, the Thrive Health and Wellbeing Centre will sit on the Frederick Road Campus, a large development area for the university, and will be the first of many buildings in discussion for the School of Health and Society.

Trauma-informed design recognises that the built environment can either support or challenge a person’s sense of safety, control and dignity. By embedding principles derived from trauma-informed care, we can shape how spaces are experienced. The Thrive Health and Wellbeing Centre reflects this philosophy, applying these principles not only in its design but also in its day-to-day operation.

The Thrive Health and Wellbeing Centre provides opportunities for collaboration through shared facilities. The design also looks ahead to future ways of working, ensuring that spaces remain relevant and efficient, reducing disruption and supporting continuity of care. This reflects trauma-informed value of choice, ensuring that services adapt to people rather than the other way around.

By co-locating services, we are enabling people to access several services in one visit if necessary, reducing anxiety and the potential for re-traumatisation, if they have already experienced trauma. A variety of areas including open, social spaces or quieter areas, encourages people to stay for longer and feel at ease. This slower rhythm is central to trauma-informed care, where trust and communication are key to positive outcomes.

We have prioritised comfort in the spaces that people will spend their time between sessions. Waiting areas, breakout zones and the café all have access to food, daylight and quiet areas. Amenities such as showers, lockers and kitchens, support those working and studying there. These all contribute to a sense of stability, reinforcing the trauma-informed aim of continuity and choice.

Welcoming and inclusive, the centre includes fitness spaces alongside clinical and educational services, broadening access to health and wellbeing services. The centre is developing partnerships with local community organisations, helping to break barriers that can prevent people from engaging with wellbeing programmes, as well as create employment opportunities and cement its position within the Salford community.

The centre can provide coordinated and comprehensive care, with flexible spaces, adaptable to different purposes at different times.

The sensory environment of the centre can be carefully managed, with lighting, temperature and noise controls, helping to preserve the calm, predictable atmosphere that underpins trauma-informed care.

The warm colour and soft texture of the pre-cast panels help the building feel rooted in its setting. Their gentle pattern, subtly inspired by William Mitchell’s 1966 concrete totem sculptures created for the forecourt of the then–Salford Technical College, adds interest without feeling busy, catching the light in a way that brings warmth and a welcoming quality as people arrive.

Each panel combines smooth framed sections with a more playful patterned area, creating a steady rhythm across the building. This balance keeps the design feeling friendly and familiar, giving the centre a clear identity that feels calm and approachable.

The panels are designed to feel steady and lasting, helping the building grow more familiar as time goes on. They’ll gently weather in place, bringing a little more character each year and giving the centre a comforting sense of being part of the local area for the long term.