Proton Beam Therapy Centre, Manchester
2nd April 2019

Curtain walling and windows using systems from Kawneer have been used on the UK’s first Proton Beam Therapy centre at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester.

The unit is also the first of its kind in the world to achieve a BREEAM “Excellent” rating, and has won multiple awards for its design, by architects HKS.

Said to be one of the most complex and precise projects in the history of the NHS, it was delivered on budget and completed ahead of programme by main contractor Interserve.

The systems on its five storeys are the manufacturer’s traditional stick-frame AA100 zone-drained curtain walling, which has 50mm sightlines, and AA°720 top-hung casement windows which feature a BRE Green Guide 'A' rated frame.

Funded by a £250 million Government investment in conjunction with a second PBT centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Manchester site will treat annually up to 750 patients with complex cancers who would previously have had to go abroad for treatment, to typically Switzerland and America.

The power generated results in similar levels of waste heat but reclaiming this has made a significant contribution to the BREEAM rating.

Modelled using 3D technology and BIM, which is believed to have created theoretical savings of around £1.95 million through early clash detection, the 15,000m2 building features three 360° rotating gantry rooms as well as a research room, CT and MRI imaging facilities, patient reception and public space, and planning and support accommodation.

Manchester’s new PBT centre won Best Procure project in the BBH Building Better Healthcare awards, Building of the Year by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and North West Building Project of the Year in the Constructing Excellence awards delivered with the BRE.