Kendon House
Southmead Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in South West England, supporting over 700,000 people annually. As part of its continuing investment in healthcare infrastructure, the hospital required additional administrative space to support its operations and charity activities. Central Group were appointed by Wernick Buildings Ltd to deliver cladding and façade works for a new modular office building on site. Kendon House is now home to Southmead Hospital Charity and other administrative teams.
- Client
- Wernick Buildings
- Timescale
- 4 months
- Date
- October 2023
- Budget
- £750k
- Project Manager
- Rick Rigby , Bridgend
- Project Location
- Bristol
After
task
The Kendon House project marked the second building delivered by Central Group for Wernick Buildings at the Southmead site. The modular structure was developed off-site and installed to create a new office and administration space with a modern appearance and robust performance standards. With a tight budget of £750,000 and a compact footprint of 675m², the new building needed to meet high architectural and technical expectations while blending into the hospital’s broader estate.
approach
As with all projects on live NHS sites, minimising disruption was a priority. All works were delivered within a four-month window, with precise coordination between Central Group, Wernick Buildings, and other subcontractors. The nature of modular construction required strict alignment between off-site fabrication and on-site installation. Despite the technical complexity and short timescale, the project was delivered on time and within budget.
The success of the project was reflected in feedback from hospital staff and management. The interior spaces were described as welcoming, light-filled, and better than anticipated. Kendon House was shortlisted for both the UK Façade Awards and Modern Methods of Construction Project of the Year 2024, recognising its architectural quality and delivery excellence.
solution
Central Group were responsible for the full delivery of the external façade, which included high-performance rainscreen and timber cladding systems. The rainscreen system used Equitone UK fibre cement panels in a dark grey finish, chosen for their durability, clean aesthetic, and suitability for modular construction. Timber battens from NORclad were vertically installed onto counter battens to create a modern and warm contrast to the rainscreen.
The built-up commercial cladding system incorporated helping hand bracketry, essential due to the void required for concealed rainwater goods and the position of the modular structure outbound of the internal wall. The cladding installation was executed with architectural precision, balancing visual impact with the stringent technical requirements of a live healthcare site. The Bridgend design team played a pivotal role in shaping the façade, drawing on the design language of the wider hospital estate to ensure architectural consistency.