Health and Life Sciences
SWJ Consulting have designed numerous buildings for the health and life science sector including medical research facilities, dentists, hospitals, pharmacies, GP surgeries and vet’s practices. We have extensive experience designing for the unique requirements this sector requires – either new builds where we are involved in foundation design or refurbishing older buildings to make them suitable for modern practices and equipment.
We are used to the challenge of delivering a new or reconfigured structure on a site that is working and busy and cannot be disrupt client or patient care.
Longevity with flexibility
The ever-evolving technology in the life health and life science sector means we need to consider how designs might need to be changed or reconfigured in the future. This might mean designs that minimise the need for columns giving a flexibility to room layouts or ensuring that the structure has the ability to support current and future requirements for the high level of services required in a veterinarian or a hospital, such as power, air flow, gasses, critical data and back-up supplies.
We specify durable materials that will withstand the wear and tear of a healthcare environment reducing the need for future maintenance and we will value engineer to ensure costs are assessed at every step.
Minimising Vibration
In some cases, where X-rays are concerned, we need to ensure that there would be zero vibration through the floors. This means we need to work with the architect and contractor to ensure we have the right foundations and floor slabs to reduce the risk of vibration on the ground floor.

Designing for Veterinary and Medical Practices
Often when we are designing for a veterinary practice or surgery with pharmacy we have to account for the use and storage of specialist equipment. For example in a pharmacy there might be the dynamic load of the picking machine to account for because it is not static. An external plant room might be required for Oxygen tank storage to address fire safety concerns about the presence of enriched oxygen and flammable substances.
In both vets and hospitals, the rooms for MRI and CT scanners need considerable consideration; lead shielding to ensure comprehensive radiation protection, spatial demands to facilitate movement and strategic positioning around any pre-existing support columns.
We also consider the practicalities of moving around these huge pieces of equipment and design the temporary works solutions such as introducing spreader plates in corridors to enable secure equipment transportation on trolleys distributing the weight as they make their way to their final destination.