Sandyford Hub

The Sandyford Initiative is a primary care organisation now promoting sexual health and family planning through a network of new clinics or “Hubs” around Glasgow. Sandyford East is the first of these, built as an extension to Parkhead Health Centre.

The brief focused on the role of disarming the inhibitions of (particularly male) potential clients by offering convenient, effective, medical and counselling services within a disarming rather than overtly clinical environment, simultaneously both welcoming and discrete. Both the plan sequence and a variety of spatial, lighting, material and colour tools are employed in response to this brief. Early take-up on the facilities provided has been extremely encouraging.

The Sandyford building infills the corner of a double-cross existing plan, thereby consolidating the urban corner of two streets and creating a small courtyard between new and old. It can be entered both through the existing centre and independently, via the courtyard. Externally a predominantly timber and galvanised steel façade gently screens a more private world behind a foil of trees. A brick plinth implies both a link to and a conclusion of the existing centre. Internally an open reception-waiting area acts as fulcrum balancing a delicate ramped link to the centre with the courtyard entrance and the corridor to consulting-interview rooms.