SR Architects Ltd. was commissioned by RUH Bath NHS Trust starting in mid-2018 to design, tender and administer construction for the refurbishment and expansion of the ground floor of the hospital’s existing Wolfson Centre for Clinical Research to facilitate the relocation of research staff from the Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases which would be moving to the RUH Bath’s Combe Park campus from its longtime home – the Bath Mineral Water Hospital in the city centre.

The ground floor area of the building was renovated to update and add clinical trials consulting-exam rooms, add a research lab and update staff areas.  A large extension was slotted into an exterior zone between the existing Wolfson building and other adjacent hospital buildings to house the offices and personnel administering the various clinical trials handled by the Centre.

One of a number of logistical and design challenges in this project was being able to supply sufficient natural ventilation to the office extension.  Because of the close proximity of adjacent fire compartments, window opening sizes had to be limited.  The number of staff in the offices, however, dictated a high level of air changes.  The design team chose to utilize a passive roof venting system to achieve the necessary ventilation resulting in a dynamic roofscape within the infilled area.

Completed in late 2019, the new centre opened to immediate full use and has since been significantly involved in the vaccine trial process related to the Covid 19 pandemic.