Heswick Studio has designed a new facility for Maggie’s, a charity dedicated to providing free practical and emotional support to cancer patients. This 462-square-meter (4,973-square-foot) building is situated within the St. James University School of Medicine. It marks the 26th Maggie’s center and is the first healthcare project undertaken by Thomas Heswick Studio.
The Maggie’s Leeds Cancer Care Centre sits on a sloped site and features three large botanical gardens, each housed within a consultation room. These are arranged around the central core of the building, which includes the kitchen and social areas such as the library and gym.
Throughout the design process, Heswick Studio focused on using “healthy” materials and energy-efficient technologies. The center employs a prefabricated structural system made from sustainable spruce wood. Additionally, porous materials like lime mud are used to regulate humidity inside this naturally ventilated building, with careful attention to its form and orientation.
The rooftop garden, designed by Balston Agius, evokes the forests of Yorkshire, featuring native British plants. An adjacent evergreen area adds warmth during the winter months. Visitors are encouraged to participate in caring for the 23,000 bulbs and 17,000 plants on site—a tradition started by Maggie Keswick Jencks, the charity’s founder.
Inside, natural and tactile materials create a soothing atmosphere with soft lighting and diverse spaces that foster social interaction and quiet reflection. Window sills and shelves are provided for visitors to place personal items, enhancing the homely feel. As part of the project, Heswick Studio designed two dining tables crafted from cork and processed oak wood.
“Unlike typical clinical diagnostic environments, our goal was to create a warm and welcoming home for those battling cancer,” explained Thomas Heswick. “By using only natural, sustainable materials and surrounding the building with abundant plant life, we aimed to craft an extraordinary environment that inspires hope and resilience on the challenging path to recovery. For me and my team, the Maggie Cancer Care Centre in Leeds is a special project, as we believe in designing spaces that foster kindness and empathy—qualities often overlooked in medical environments but essential to patient wellbeing.”
Mat Cash, group leader at Heswick Studio, added, “Given the vital role of charitable work, the Maggie Cancer Care Centre in Leeds became a priority for our team. As one of the few remaining green spaces within the medical school, we aimed to develop an open and comfortable center covering nearly 5,000 square feet, surrounded by nature. This is crucial in medical settings where nature’s restorative effects can significantly benefit patients. The building’s design takes advantage of the site’s sloping landscape, offering patients visual connections to the medical school and the inspiring Yorkshire Valley beyond.”
Laura Lee, CEO of Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, commented, “Introducing the Maggie Cancer Care Centre to Leeds is a wonderful initiative, especially at a time when cancer patients need support more than ever. Despite the challenges of the site, the center’s design is exceptional. We are delighted that Heswick Studio incorporated extensive greenery, as the connection with nature and thoughtful architecture profoundly impact both physical and mental health. We hope that visitors find comfort in the botanical garden designed by Balston Agius and feel at ease within the center’s thoughtful layout.”
Although social distancing and hygiene protocols are in place, the center remains open to cancer patients, their families, and visiting friends. Visitors are encouraged to schedule appointments by phone in advance, and patients appreciate visits at the health center under these guidelines.
This project reflects Heswick Studio’s ongoing commitment to creating life-enhancing built environments. This vision is also evident in their recently completed residential project “Eden” in Singapore, the Pier55 Island park and performance space in New York (expected completion in 2021), and the multifunctional “1000 Trees” development in Shanghai, which will feature 25,000 plants across 100 species upon completion.
Design Drawings
△ Construction sequence – original slope
Construction sequence – concrete floor engineering
△ Construction sequence – wooden box wall
Construction sequence – glued laminated wood skeleton
Construction sequence – CLT wooden board
△ Construction sequence – glass facade
△ Construction sequence – roof base and soil
Construction sequence – ground and roof vegetation
△ General layout plan
△ First floor plan
△ Mezzanine plan
△ Roof plan
△ South elevation view
△ East elevation view
△ Horizontal section diagram
△ Longitudinal sectional view
△ Wooden structure
Details of wooden structure
Project Information:
Project Name: Maggie’s Leeds
Project Address: Leeds, UK
Owner: Maggie’s
Photography: Hufton+Crow
Project Team at Heswick Studio:
Founder: Thomas Heswick
Group Leader: Mat Cash
Project Leaders: Neil Hubbard, Rebecca Ramos, Angel Tenorio
Team Members: Peter Ayres, Alyaa Azhar, Mark Bagguely, Einar Blixhavn, Charlotte Bovis, Erich Breuer, Mark Burrows, Darragh Casey, Francesco Cavaliere, Michael Chomette, Ben Dudek, Antoine van Erp, Alex Flood, Matthew Gilbert, Andrew Green, Hayley Henry, James Hepper, Etain Ho, Kong Hoang, Catherine Jones, Peter King, Nilufer Kocabas, Gergely Kovacs, Hyein Lee, Nick Ling, Freddie Lomas, John Minford, Sayaka Namba, Charmaine Ng, Juan Oyarbide, Monika Patel, Hannah Parker, Tayra Pinto, Luke Plumbley, Gabriel Piovanetti, Ivan Ucros Polley, Enrique Pujana, Manuel Ramos, Silvia Rueda, Deyan Saev, Luis Samanez, Gabriel Sanchiz, Ahira Sanjeet, Wendy Smith, Skye Sun, Cliff Tan, Ruth Vatcher, Brandon Whitwell-Mak, Meera Yadave, Aysha Zahid, Artur Zakrzewski, Pablo Zamorano, Chen Zhan
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