Excerpt: Hanover Medical School by HENN and C.F. Møller Architects creates a sustainable, patient-centered campus that blends with its green surroundings. A central Clinic Square, framed by a guiding pergola, connects all buildings and fosters a car-free, pedestrian-friendly environment. Efficient layouts enhance care and workflow, while natural light, materials, and green spaces promote well-being.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] Hanover Medical School (MHH) ranks among the top German medical universities in terms of its research profile. At the same time, it provides comprehensive healthcare services to the people of Hanover and beyond. The design by HENN and C.F. Møller for the extension of the existing clinic establishes a highly efficient, sustainable campus with a pleasant atmosphere – a new urban building block for the benefit of all, including patients, staff, and neighbors.
The MHH campus located in the eastern part of Hanover is connected to the city center through the Eilenriede municipal forest. It forms the centerpiece of a green network that permeates the entire cityscape. The campus extension is situated directly adjacent to the forest. Its green courtyards and roofs will make it an integral part of this network.
The new buildings merge into a coherent whole in three construction phases to form an architectural ensemble with a common center referred to as the Clinic Square. Passageways and park-like green spaces open it to the surrounding neighborhoods on all sides.
The central Clinic Square forms the core of the complex. It is designed as a car-free, pedestrian-friendly space, with a shuttle bus service linking it to the existing buildings via the extended access road. A low pergola referred to as the loop encircles the Clinic Square to connect all buildings and departments. It provides orientation and guidance, protects from the elements, and frames the square as a distinct design feature.
Inside the buildings, outpatient clinics and offices are spatially separated from acute care functions such as emergency rooms, intensive care units, and operating theaters. A shared logistics level interconnects them to ensure smooth workflows.
The buildings’ internal structure and design is informed by research findings. Daylight and access to nature reduce stress, while clear orga-nization facilitates orientation even in complex structures. Natural materials and a comfortable atmosphere contribute to patient recovery while providing a pleasant workplace to employees, including retreat spaces to take a break from the hectic clinical routine. Efficient, generic building structures make it easy to adapt to change and reorganization of the clinic’s future operations.
The design includes a bright recycled aluminum façade towards the urban Clinic Square, while the exterior takes on a natural character with a warm red shade. Alongside the loop, a base consisting of reclaimed bricks connects all buildings.
Besides using recycled materials, desealing previously paved surfaces and promoting biodiversity, the buildings’ compact design and a hybrid-timber structure for the upper floors accommodating the medical care facilities constitute additional important building blocks of the sustainability concept.
The extension of the Hanover Medical School campus combines efficient structures with compassionate patient care and sustainable buil-ding principles, thus consolidating the school’s position as a top-class university medical center with an international profile.
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