North Bristol Private Hospital – Three Years On
Skeletal Consulting Engineers were pleased to be involved in the conversion of an existing office building at Aztec West, Bristol, into what is now North Bristol Private Hospital.
Originally constructed around 30 years ago, the building comprised a steel frame with a precast plank first floor, supporting a hipped timber trussed roof. The project centred on adapting this structure to accommodate a modern healthcare facility, introducing a range of specialist clinical and patient spaces within the existing envelope.
The completed hospital now includes consulting and treatment rooms, operating theatres, overnight stay accommodation, and associated clinical and staff areas, alongside a redesigned reception and waiting space to create a more welcoming arrival experience.
A key feature of the scheme was the introduction of a new glazed entrance lobby to the rear elevation. With three sides open or glazed and limited opportunity for traditional bracing or diaphragm action, the structure was designed as a steel moment frame in two directions, allowing stability to be achieved within a constrained structural zone while maintaining the desired architectural openness.
Internally, the works required a series of targeted structural interventions to support the new use. These included trimming steelwork to form openings through the existing precast plank floor, installation of a new lift pit and blockwork lift shaft, and the introduction of secondary steelwork to support specialist medical equipment such as ceiling-mounted operating lights and pendants.
Alongside the structural works, Skeletal Consulting Engineers delivered civil engineering design, including modifications to both internal and external drainage to suit the revised layout, as well as external works and surfacing to support plant areas and the updated building entrance.
The project was delivered in close collaboration with Stretto Architects and QED, with careful co-ordination required to integrate structural interventions with the complex servicingdemands of a modern healthcare facility.
Three years on from completion, it is great to see the facility established and continuing to serve patients across Bristol and the wider South West.
