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Cambridge Children’s Hospital

Cambridge Children’s Hospital

Cambridge Children’s Hospital is set to transform the way healthcare for children and young people is delivered in the UK. Located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the hospital will bring together physical and mental health care with world-class research under one roof, creating an environment that treats the whole child rather than just their symptoms.

A new model of care

Designed by White Arkitekter in collaboration with Hawkins\Brown and Ramboll, the project has been developed through close partnership with clinicians, researchers, patients and families. From the outset, the design has placed children and young people at its heart, ensuring that their voices shape every decision, from the configuration of wards and play spaces to the character of bedrooms and family areas.

Integrating mind and body

This will be the UK’s first specialist children’s hospital to fully integrate physical and mental health services. On each ward, units are co-located to bring together patients of similar ages, fostering collaboration between clinical teams and creating opportunities for children to develop empathy and understanding by encountering peers with different conditions. This integration not only streamlines care, reducing duplication and dispersal of services, but also offers fresh perspectives for clinical teams, encouraging innovation and the rapid exchange of knowledge between disciplines.

Client: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, University of Cambridge
Location: Cambridge, UK
Status: Stage 4
Area: approx. 34,700 sqm
Accommodation: Paediatric physical and mental health, oncology and BMT, imaging and diagnostics, critical care, research, ancillary functions
Visuals:  White Arkitekter and Hawkins\Brown Architects
Awards: European Healthcare Design award 2022 (Highly Commended)

Services: Architecture, Landscape architecture, Healthcare, Interior architecture and design

This new model is the first of its kind in the world and aims to treat the whole child, not just their underlying symptoms, by taking into account the mental health implications of long-term hospital stays and the physical health complications faced by patients with mental health conditions.

Designing with empathy

The architecture supports this new model of care with a building that is both technically advanced and deeply humane. Patient rooms are single-occupancy, giving families privacy and dignity while maintaining close proximity to shared social areas. Views outwards to the campus and the wider landscape are prioritised to give children a sense of connection, hope and orientation during their stay.

It has been a privilege to help shape Cambridge Children’s Hospital, a truly unique project that will transform care for children and young people across the East of England. The design is centred on empathy, nature and family presence, creating an environment that supports recovery and inspires hope for generations to come.
Lienelle Geldenhuys, Project Director, White Arkitekter

Landscapes for healing

Central courtyards and large lightwells draw daylight deep into the plan, while terraces, gardens and winter gardens provide year-round access to nature, play and socialisation. Every level of the hospital has outdoor spaces, recognising the proven role of the natural environment in reducing stress, supporting recovery and improving wellbeing for patients, parents and staff alike.

Sustainability for the future

Sustainability is embedded throughout the design. The hospital is guided by a whole-life carbon approach, with structural systems and building form optimised to reduce embodied carbon while supporting long-term flexibility. Generous openings bring natural light and fresh air into the heart of the hospital, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and mechanical systems. A biophilic landscape strategy strengthens resilience to climate change while providing habitats for local wildlife, ensuring that the building not only supports the health of its users but contributes positively to the wider ecosystem.

A new healthcare typology

Cambridge Children’s Hospital represents a radical new healthcare typology—an environment shaped as much by empathy as by efficiency, where physical and mental health are cared for together, and where children and young people feel seen, supported and empowered. It will serve as a model for the next generation of hospitals, in the UK and beyond.

Contact & Team

Lienelle Geldenhuys

Lienelle Geldenhuys

Associate Director

+44 750 751 55 04

Lienelle Geldenhuys

Project Director

Jake Ford

Landscape Architecture

Susanna von Eyben

Interior Architect

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