A CENTRE for cancer sufferers in Oxford, designed to look like a treehouse, is one of three buildings shortlisted for a design award.
The £3m Maggie’s Oxford Centre, at the Churchill Hospital in Headington, is among the three Oxfordshire structures in line for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) South awards 2014.
Also shortlisted are the Gateway Buildings at St Antony’s College, in Woodstock Road, Oxford, by Bennetts Associates, and a private house in the Vale of White Horse.
The location of the home is not being revealed by the competition organisers, but architect Adrian James, whose practice is based in Mill Street, West Oxford, said he was “very pleased” by the nomination.
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The private house by Adrian James Architects.
Staff and volunteers at Maggie’s Oxford Centre offer advice and support for cancer sufferers and their families, with about 8,000 visits a year.
The charity has been on site since 2006, initially operating from a portable building before beginning a fundraising campaign in 2009 for the new centre.
Maggie’s Oxford Centre head Claire Marriott said: “The treehouse design used as many natural materials as possible, including wood and glass.
“All the visitors love it because it’s a light, inspirational space to be in and there’s a feeling of calm.
“The new building has made a huge difference to people affected by cancer, and the services we can offer are enhanced because we have a much more flexible space.
“We offer a full programme of support for anyone affected by cancer and their family and friends.There’s a care team of about five staff, eight volunteers and staff who run yoga sessions.”
Wilkinson Eyre architects has won the RIBA Stirling Prize twice.
Chris Wilkinson, of Wilkinson Eyre, said in a statement on the Maggie’s website: “Our design encapsulates the philosophy and principles on which the Maggie’s Centres are based – the tree house concept maximises the relationship between the internal space and the external landscape, offering discreet spaces for relaxation, information and therapy; it will provide a sympathetic and caring retreat, in tune with its surroundings.”
The Gateway Buildings at St Antony’s College, Oxford.
RIBA works to promote better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and its members. Forty-eight buildings in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire were nominated for awards.
Shortlisted buildings will be assessed by a regional jury, with the winners of the RIBA South 2015 awards being announced on April 23, at Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands, Surrey.
Regional winners will then be considered for a RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, which will be announced in June.
The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning buildings later in the year.
Last year, the new John Henry Brookes building at Oxford Brookes University’s main Gipsy Lane campus in Headington won RIBA’s national award.
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