The Centre will be in a purpose built, stand alone building situated next door to the postgraduate centre at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The site is adjacent to the public car park so not only will it be easily accessible for all its potential users, it will also be highly visible.
The building will be designed around a central waiting area, without corridors, and it is intended to give this area a 'clublike' quality to encourage users to feel at ease and welcome. There will be input from all the relevant self help groups, a coffee shop and play area for children. The building will be very environmentally friendly without the need for air-conditioning and with modest heating requiements.
Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners, who, amongst many other buildings, have designed The Eden Project, The Eurostar Terminal at Waterloo and the EIHMS building at The University of Surrey, are the architects for the project. Christopher Nash, the partner in charge of our project, has a young daughter who has diabetes and so is only too aware of the present day conditions for the outpatient in typical NHS facilities. To find out more about Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners please visit their website at