Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire
Location: Scotland
Architect/designer: Reiach and Hall
Completed: 2011

Photo: Reiach and Hall/Maggie's Centres

Biophilic design is at the heart of most Maggie's Centres, purpose built cancer care centres that have been designed by some of the world's best architects, including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Richard Rogers. But the Centre in Lanarkshire in Scotland, designed by Reiach and Hall, is a perfect example of a building that's at one with its surroundings.

Photo: Reiach and Hall/Maggie's Centres

As with all Maggie's Centres, this one is situated near an existing hospital. The architects' approach was to create a low-lying building that fits around the existing trees that define the northern boundary belt to the main hospital site. According to Maggie's, 'The essence of the design is the creation of a matrix of courtyards that result in a porous building, an extension of the landscape that offers moments of visibility and outlook with places of privacy and inlook.'

Photo: Reiach and Hall/Maggie's Centres

Inside, users are encouraged to sit around a large central 'kitchen table' which gives views onto a series of internal courtyards and gardens. Large windows and glass walls break down the distinctions between the building and its natural surroundings.