CUMH, Wilton, Cork
The Anu Research Centre at Cork University Maternity Hospital occupies the penthouse floor of the building and was developed by University College Cork in partnership with the Health Service Executive. At the time of its opening the facility was the first purpose-built integrated research and clinical centre in human reproduction in Ireland.
The ANU Research Centre was a fast track project built in parallel with the Maternity Hospital roof-level extension. To ensure a seamless continuity between both projects it was accepted that the architecture and interior design would extend the architectural concept and approach of the Maternity Hospital project. The resultant ANU Research Centre is therefore ‘of the building’ rather than being a distinctive ‘unit’.
The educational accommodation and facilities provided in the unit include extensive research and training laboratories, write up areas, general teaching and meeting areas, offices and other educational support accommodation..
Communications technology were seen as being a key requirement for the University, as were specialist requirements for the various post-graduate research areas, the lecture and laboratory areas and the integration of the systems to the hospital and UCC servers. The Operating Theatres, located five storeys below the Anu Research Centre, are fully addressable, linked to the lecture suites and are also capable of providing live audio visual links to medical consultants in other parts of the hospital or elsewhere in the world.
Glazing on the external façade is extensive and provides full height views out over the surrounding cityscape where appropriate, with controlled views via the projecting, angled feature windows provided to overcome overlooking issues related to patient privacy.
The language of the Maternity Hospital Building façade has also been adapted, with a Level 5 setback, to reduce the overall height of the Hospital / Research Centre Building. On the Courtard elevation the external cladding material compliments the rendered façade of the Hospital accommodation whilst expressing the Anu Research Centre as a separate, yet integrated, component of the overall building
Michael Regan of EPCA was Director in Charge / Project Architect for this project whilst Managing Director of Reddy O’Riordan Staehli Architects and Interior Designers
