The Brunel Building, a state-of-the-art development situated on the Southmead site, stands as a testament to innovation in healthcare. With a capacity of 800 beds, the hospital encompasses a range of clinical acute departments alongside specialist facilities such as intraoperative theatre/MR scanners and a vascular hybrid theatre, enabling advanced surgical procedures. Overcoming various design challenges, the project embraced off-site modularisation, ensuring swift construction and timely delivery, particularly in the wards.

Addressing sustainability goals, the project prioritised energy consumption and carbon emissions reduction. To meet these targets, a biomass boiler was incorporated into the design, with the potential for future integration of combined heat and power (CHP) systems. The energy centre, an integral component, features three 4MW dual-fuel gas/light oil boilers supplemented by a 1.6MW biomass wood chip boiler installation. Electrical supply is facilitated through dual incoming high-voltage (HV) connections, efficiently distributed via multiple dual transformer substations. A robust backup system comprises five 2MVA generators, providing N+1 standby power. Energy efficiency measures were implemented, including heat recovery from the chiller plant and heat recovery integrated into ventilation systems. These efforts contributed to the Brunel Building’s achievement of a BREEAM Excellent rating, underscoring its commitment to sustainable design and operations.