The new Woodside Health and Care Centre has been built to replace the existing 1970’s facility which has come to the end of its useful life no longer meeting current standards of building fabric, environmental conditions and accessibility. The existing facility was an exemplar design at the time and was replicated over a number of sites. The new centre brings together a range of primary and community care services that were located across various sites in Glasgow with the intention that Greater Clyde and Glasgow NHS can offer a more integrated and efficient service for the local community.

Glasgow is characterised by its historic grid form of rectangular blocks. Where these grids intersected with more organic peripheral road development, these became know as ‘gushet blocks’. Woodside is one of these.

Design

The new building brings a significant urban scale and presence back to the area and each corner of the gushet contains an entrance marked by precast concrete panels containing artwork reliefs designed by Bespoke Atelier. Each entrance defines a key component of the brief:

• The Health Centre.
• Community Addictions.
• Elderly Daycare.

The predominant material facing the urban street edge is a hand-cut brick whilst the inner courtyard, clad in western red cedar reflects the quieter, softer nature of these less defensible elevations. The street elevations reflect the local materiality of the surrounding developments however the subtle detailing of the brick with its double string coursing and large window openings pays homage to the largely tenemental nature of the area, and at the same time breaks down the massing of the skin.

Layout

The building is organized across four distinct levels. The Lower Ground Floor accommodates the Glasgow City Council Day Care Centre, along with its delightful courtyard garden, adapting to the site’s changing levels. On the Ground Floor, you’ll find the community services reception, community accommodation, a Dental Practice, and a Pharmacy, serving as the public hub of the facility. Moving up to the First Floor, we encounter a semi-public space housing GP consulting rooms, waiting areas, and receptions, all thoughtfully designed around a centrally illuminated atrium. Finally, the Second Floor is reserved exclusively for staff, offering agile working spaces and a cozy staff café, ensuring a private and efficient work environment.