Staff praise UK’s firstWELL Gold health facility

In a ground-breaking move, the Northumbria Health and Care Academy, alongside P+HS Architects, has set a new standard for healthcare facility design, prioritising staff wellbeing. Situated in the grounds of the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) in Cramlington, Northumberland, and built by Meldrum Group (with Hilson Moran as WELL-Accredited Professionals on the scheme), the Academy has become the UK’s first healthcare building to earn the prestigious WELL Gold certification from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).

The Academy also clinched the Salus Healthy Workplace Award at the 2024 Healthy City Design Conference, a testament to its innovative approach. Working to the WELL standard has been a forward-thinking move from the developer, Assura, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and the project team, acknowledging that the Health and Care Academy is not just a healthcare building, but also a workplace.

A co-location of services

The Academy creates a base for an innovative co-location of services, making for a sustainable overall development. The 8,000 m2 building includes a centre of training excellence for nursing, midwifery, and allied health professionals — such as physiotherapists, radiographers, podiatrists, and occupational therapists, plus conference facilities, office space, and meeting rooms. The ground floor is occupied by a GP practice, which has relocated its services from a nearby outdated premises, also providing a base for community health professionals. Not only does the new Health and Care Academy create an exciting opportunity to strengthen the health workforce, it also provides a state-of-the-art primary care facility and workplace. The WELL standard is described by the IWBI as ‘a vehicle for buildings and organisations to deliver more thoughtful and intentional spaces that enhance human health and well-being’.¹ The ethos of the standard — which we have tried to take on board as designers, is to create a project where wellbeing is embedded, being not just ‘building-focused’, but also ‘people-focused’, and that this is incorporated from the early design stages.

The WELL accreditation process comprises a pre-assessment, followed by a period of gathering evidence during design and construction, reporting of this to IWBI, and site visits by the WELL assessor. The award by IWBI is then followed by re-certification, to be done every three years. Continued regular testing is required for some elements — for example water quality, meaning that this is a long-term commitment from the client, with third-party accreditation required for testing carried out in the certification and re-certification process.

WELL ‘Concepts’

There are 10 ‘Concept areas’ which form the WELL standard, with each broken down into a series of ‘Features’ with distinct health intents. P+HS worked closely with the client and other consultants — including the WELL assessor from Hilson Moran, to integrate these aspects into the overall design. The 10 concepts are: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind, and Community. Let us look at each in turn.

• Air

This concept is focused around air quality for building users through a combination of active, passive, operational, and behavioural strategies. An indoor quality plan was commissioned for the building early in the design process to set out the strategy encompassing both WELL and BREEAM requirements, and the testing and analysis needed. Indoor air quality was required to be tested on completion to meet thresholds for particulate matter, and will continue to be tested going forwards, with results to be recorded and shared to ensure that the WELL certification is maintained. To achieve acceptable air quality levels, P+HS needed to pay close attention to the specification of no or low-VOC finishes — including paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and flooring. Furnishings were also certified to standards which recognise low-VOC content of materials, which meant working closely with the furniture designer to make sure that these requirements were met, as well as achieving the overall look we were aiming for.

Smoke-free environment

A ‘no-smoking’ policy inside and outside the building contributes to the air quality by creating a smoke-free environment, and helpfully this is a policy already in place here as part of the hospital campus. For the ‘Source Separation’ feature we were required to consider the layout and adjacency of spaces; potential ‘pollution’ within the building is managed through separating spaces such as bathrooms, kitchens, and cleaners’ stores from all regularly occupied areas with vestibules or self-closing doors.

‘Pollution Infiltration Management’ is a WELL feature which aims to minimise the introduction of pollutants from outside through the building envelope and entrance. In response to this, lobbies are included to slow air movement from outdoors to indoors, and correctly specified entrance matting is used to reduce dirt being brought into the building. This is combined with operational policies in relation to cleaning of these areas. Also relevant to this feature, we were required to demonstrate detailing of the building envelope in relation to the target airtightness level.

Air quality was also important during the construction itself. Due to the nature of construction and refurbishment activities, the contractor, Meldrum, had to ensure that all pollution sources were kept to a minimum during construction activities. Nothing unusual for a project of this nature, a deep clean was required prior to occupancy to remove any particulates that were generated during construction and fit-out.

There were also some important aspects relating to air quality, which formed part of the M&E consultant, Wilson Gray’s design, which we needed to coordinate with. The system is designed to ensure that no clean air is contaminated by dirty extract air, and also to allow flexibility for user control. It also benefits from CO2 sensors, along with filters to control airborne particulate matter thresholds.

•  Water

The Water concept area encompasses a wide range of considerations. A pertinent topic currently, given recent updated guidance on water safety in healthcare buildings, water quality was an important consideration in working to the standard. Water supplied to the building needed to be tested for organic contaminants, inorganic contaminants, agricultural pollutants, excess of public water additives, sediments, and microorganisms. Testing was required to be carried out prior to completion, and will also continue quarterly going forwards, with the results shared with IWBI.

Availability of drinking water, and promotion of this, is a WELL feature which P+HS needed to address during the design process; with a requirement for drinking water points to be easily accessible, and within a 30-metre walk of all occupied spaces, to encourage occupants to drink water regularly. Water dispensers were required to be specified with a piped water supply, and to be suitable for bottle filling to ensure that they are practical for building users.

‘Moisture Management’ is a feature within the water concept which looks at the design of the building envelope — to assess potential water vapour transfer and detailing of the moisture- resistant barrier within the wall build-up, to avoid interstitial moisture build-up. The design of entryways also needed to take into consideration strategies to minimise ingress of water into the building. This comprises surface water drainage adjacent to entrances, entrance canopies, and lobbies with barrier matting. The site drainage design and strategy for storm water drainage within the civil engineer’s design was important too, in preventing ponding water potentially entering the building.

• Nourishment

The WELL Nourishment concept is intended to encourage the creation of food environments where the ‘healthiest choice is the easiest choice’.² This requires availability of healthy food such as fruit and vegetables, and nutritional transparency for the food on offer.

Enough space for breaks?

‘Mindful Eating’ requires dedicated eating space for at least 25% of regular building occupants, with a variety of seating types provided. This allowed us to include eating areas such as cafés and staff rest areas as a key part of the design, where on other schemes these may have been lost to ‘value engineering’. In collaboration with the furniture designer, and with stakeholder review, this allowed us to make a feature of these areas, which are vibrant, well-used spaces in the completed building. One challenge in meeting this criterion was having confirmed occupancy for the building at an early enough stage in the design process to size these areas correctly. However, we were able to make a good estimation through working with stakeholders. The client also wanted to include space for visitors to the building, allowing us to make these areas even more generous than required by the standard. These elements allowed space within the floorplan to be ring-fenced, providing for breaks away from workstations, and also requiring support from the client with operational policies — for example in relation to providing time for adequate breaks. Feedback we have received from users is that these spaces are really successful, and that people who were eating at their desks previously are now looking forward to taking lunch breaks together

• Light

There is a strong focus on natural light, size, and location of windows and rooflights in relation to occupied areas, and especially workstations. Along with the positioning of openings, the light transmittance of the glass specified was also an important consideration. We have had some comments from users since the building has been in use on how fantastic the quality of light is, especially compared with other nursing training facilities, which are often in repurposed hospital wards.

As you would expect, the M&E design was required to follow the CIBSE code for electrical lighting, while credits in relation to visual balance and consistency of lighting colour between rooms were also included.

• Movement

This concept area promotes physical activity in 
everyday life, aiming to integrate movement opportunities into the fabric of the building, and recognising that sedentary behaviours are associated with poor health outcomes.³ There are a broad range of features within this concept, which have influenced several parts of the design, and here P+HS coordinated input from the client, landscape designers, and the furniture designer among others.

Movement is encouraged within the building itself; artwork is included within stairwells to help make taking the stairs an appealing option, while signage helps to make the location of staircases obvious. A flexible and comfortable working environment is provided through adjustable workstation equipment — including a number of sit-stand desks.

Included within the Academy are facilities for active occupants comprising showers and lockers, as well as cycle parking. There is also a regular cycle maintenance surgery provided by the Trust’s Bright Northumbria charity. Organisational benefits include subsidised gym memberships, and access to the Wellness Hub in the main NSEC hospital, within walking distance at the same site. In addition, staff from the main hospital are now walking across the site to the conference suite in the Academy, whereas previously they were driving to a different site to utilise this function. Despite the challenges of needing to provide a large amount of parking on the site, movement outside of the building is further encouraged with a pedestrian-friendly environment, designed in collaboration with the landscape architect, Colour Urban Design. The building’s main entrances open onto a pedestrian area between the building and the car park, featuring footpaths, cycle parking, seating, and landscaping. A walking trail has been created for building occupants to use designed by ONE Environments. This is planned around the body of water opposite the Health and Care Academy. The trail through green space includes features such as sculptures, seating, and picnic tables, and building users have told us that they use this space not just for breaks, but also for quiet conversations.

• Thermal comfort

The WELL Thermal Comfort concept is focused around supporting human productivity, and providing a maximum level of thermal comfort among all building users through improved heating, ventilation, and cooling system design and control, and by meeting individual thermal preferences.

The features in this concept area are primarily related to the M&E services design which P+HS needed to coordinate with. There are various systems implemented in the building to provide thermal comfort. The main one is air-conditioning, but panel heaters and an overdoor heating curtain to the main lobby are also included. Units are preset to the most comfortable setting based on calculations completed at the design stage, but there are wall-mounted controllers giving users flexibility to alter the temperature if required.

• Sound

A ‘Sound Mapping exercise’ was carried out by an acoustician, looking at the different requirements for noise limits within the building in terms of quiet and loud zones. This fed into our design for overall space planning — zoning of areas within the building according to the acoustic sensitivity of the spaces, with the intent of reducing distractions and aiding concentration. The layout of the building has therefore been designed so that areas for collaboration or quiet work are clearly defined. Internal walls and doors have been specified to provide the required acoustic separation between adjacent spaces, with the acoustic specification of internal built elements assessed under the WELL criteria.

• Materials

Some features were quite easy to address due to restrictions already in place as a result of legislation. For example, within this concept area, the WELL criteria highlight avoidance of hazardous and toxic materials such as asbestos, lead, PCBs, and copper arsenate-treated wood. Low VOC materials, already discussed in relation to ‘Air’, were also a requirement in relation to this concept area.

From an operational standpoint, policies on cleaning protocols are important, and cleaning staff will not use any harsh and toxic cleaning agents. A cleaning protocol is also in place to ensure that all high-touch surfaces are cleaned regularly. A waste management plan encourages occupants to recycle and to dispose safely of WEEE waste and hazardous waste, while recycling bins and inclusion of adequate waste storage areas are also features.

• Mind

The WELL Mind concept is described as ‘promoting mental health through policy, programme, and design strategies that seek to address the diverse factors that influence cognitive and emotional well-being’.⁴ The features in this section are wide-ranging, but some of the most influential on the design were Nature and Place and Enhanced Access to Nature.

The Nature and Place WELL feature puts focus on integration of nature throughout the project, and reference is made within the standard to the benefits of biophilic design, as well as strategies which help to create a unique identity for the project and inspire human delight. In terms of nature, the requirement was to include natural materials, patterns, shapes, or colours and either plants, water, or nature views (or a combination of these).

We had hoped to include a living wall, but could not achieve having plants inside the building due to infection control concerns from the Trust’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team. Fortunately, we were able to achieve views of nature, with the walking trail designed and the water feature opposite the new building providing a focal point. In addition, there are views out to the landscape scheme surrounding the building, which has been designed to maximise the limited space available on the site. Once established, this will enhance views out onto a year-round display of colour, enhancing biodiversity, and providing functional areas that contribute to the site drainage strategy through rain gardens.

Inspiration from natural elements has been incorporated throughout the spaces, focusing on the areas with the most traffic and usage. P+HS has designed the interiors around the concept of ‘modern organic’ — with forms, colours, patterns, and materials inspired by nature, but striking a balance to create a fairly neutral backdrop to the activities within the building. There is a subtle approach to use of pattern carried through to floor finishes, including the luxury vinyl tile planks and carpet tiles described by the manufacturer as ‘using patterns inspired by nature, including natural rock formations’. Timber laminate is included to doors and joinery, with use of a subtle olive green in washroom areas. A hexagonal motif, inspired by nature and organic forms, creates a feature throughout the building on acoustic wall panels and glazing manifestations.

Artwork projects

The Bright Northumbria Healthcare Charity is a huge benefit to Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust, and through the Bright charity several artwork projects were facilitated for the building, which P+HS were able to assist with coordinating. Artwork included throughout the building features themes inspired by nature and scenery in the local area, helping to foster connection with nature and place. This includes a mural designed through a competition for students in a local school sixth form, and a changing photography display in corridors to display artwork from a staff photography competition.

The other aspect of this feature area, Connection to Place, asks for the project to integrate design elements which include a celebration of culture (for example the culture of occupants, workplace, and the surrounding community), celebration of place (local architecture, materials, flora, artists), integration of art, and human delight.5 This feature has also benefited from the work facilitated by the Bright Charity, which included artist-led workshops with patient groups, creating artwork inspired by local scenery and landmarks to be displayed in an exhibition area close to the GPs’ reception. Images from a previous year’s staff photography competition were used on site hoardings while the project was under construction, which also helped to foster links between the building users, the local community, and the building.

‘Human delight’

In terms of ‘human delight’ and users’ experience, as already described, the building includes dedicated rest space for staff, as well as library, café, and eating areas, which form a vibrant space on each of the levels for all building users. In addition, there are breakout spaces throughout which offer a variety of seating options for working away from workstations, with the interiors and furniture creating an appealing environment. Having visited the building now that it has been in use for a while, it is fantastic to see these areas being really well used and feeling so animated. Where possible these spaces benefit from natural light — from large windows, rooflights, and ‘borrowed light’ through glazed meeting rooms. There is a focus on high-quality food and beverage offerings from local companies. Staff also benefit from a dedicated staff garden, including seating and planting, with the planting scheme and walking trail adding interest and enjoyment to the immediate surrounding of the building.

• Community

The Community concept area requires evidence of an integrative design approach aimed at accommodating diverse stakeholder needs, and highlights the importance of establishing an engaged ‘occupant community’. Extensive stakeholder engagement was carried out with teams for all of the building functions to arrive at an optimum solution for each. This includes aspects such as a tailor-made environment for simulating scenarios within the nursing school — for example in the immersive suite and simulation ward, and bespoke spaces within the Primary Care Centre, including digital consulting areas and a variety of consulting room sizes for different activities, through to the Conference Centre, where flexibility, connectivity, and capability of accommodating large groups, were key requirements.

P+HS produced a WELL building user guide summarising the WELL building features to raise building users’ awareness. Stakeholder orientation tours on completion of the building were also required; these were aimed at helping foster a sense of community within the building, and improving awareness of the WELL features included.

Since completion we have heard from staff at the Academy that the walking trail is being used by local residents, as well as building users; it’s nice to see how some features of the project’s design are also allowing the new building to become more integrated into the wider community. Academy staff have also shared with us how they feel that the Academy has become a focal point for raising awareness on nursing career pathways, and how the spaces within it have facilitated events such as nursing careers masterclasses which the Trust have started to hold. As architects it’s rewarding to see the connection to community and place growing as the use of the building becomes established. This seems quite fitting with the WELL ethos.

On reflection

Reflecting on working to the WELL standard at the Health and Care Academy, many of the key principles are in line with what we are looking to do as architects on every scheme: good access to natural light, views out, stakeholder engagement, and also low VOC materials to name a few. However, having the client and developer make a commitment to the WELL standard allows the project team to make a conscious decision to follow these principles and consider these aspects from project inception, allowing aspects to be retained in the design which may otherwise not make it through to completion. In addition, having the opportunity to place emphasis on high-quality interior design, including finishes and choice of furniture, helps to create a successful working environment were the building users feel valued.

At Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the Bright charity means that arts coordination is often well considered within projects, but working to the WELL requirements means that artwork is more likely to be on the agenda on any scheme working to the standard. Targeted as being ‘people focussed’, this has put emphasis on mind and community-related aspects, facilitating breaks away from working areas, and allowing physical space for this, access to nature, and views out, encouraging movement. We look forward to developing on these principles for future schemes, recognising that healthcare buildings are workplaces too.

Further reading

1 ‘Overview’ from The WELL Building Standard version 2
(WELL v2). IWBI, 2025. https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/overview/

2 ‘Nourishment’ from The WELL Building Standard version 2 (WELL v2). IWBI, 2025. https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/nourishment

3 ‘Movement’ from The WELL Building Standard version 2
(WELL v2). IWBI, 2025. https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/movement

4 ‘Mind’ from The WELL Building Standard version 2 (WELL v2). IWBI, 2025. https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/mind

5 ‘Nature and Place’ from The WELL Building Standard version 2 (WELL v2). IWBI, 2025. https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/mind/feature/2