St Mary’s Treatment Centre

Portakabin was awarded the contract to provide a rainscreen-clad modular building, developed and operated by Mercury Health in partnership with Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust.

The building was constructed from 72 steel-framed Portakabin Design and Build solution modules, manufactured off-site in York and craned into position on site ready for fitting out. This construction method provided a watertight building envelope for fitting out just 12 weeks after work started start on site. As a result, the overall programme time was reduced to just 42 weeks – and the Portakabin even handed the building over a week ahead of schedule.

The two-storey 3,300m² building incorporates three operating theatres, an endoscopy suite, preparation zone, clinical sterilisation services department, recovery bays, consulting rooms, reception and office accommodation. It will carry out around 6,500 day surgery procedures, more than 10,000 diagnostic investigations and up to 50,000 minor injuries unit procedures every year.

The architectural building design features cedar cladding at ground-floor level, white rendering and light-grey ceramic granite to add interest at either end of the building. Areas of curtain walling span two storeys and horizontal bands of windows are finished in blue.

A cantilevered canopy runs the full length of the front elevation to provide shelter for the three patient entrances and drop-off zone. Sun pipes maximise natural light along the first floor of the building, while cedar louvres give shade from the sun.