Architecture and design – Yorkshire

Maggie’s, Yorkshire was built in 2019 and was designed by Heatherwick Studio.

The building

Maggie's, Yorkshire is designed as a group of three large-scale planters, built on a sloped site, that each enclose a counselling room. 

These surround the 'heart' of the centre – the kitchen - as well as more social spaces for group activities including a library and exercise room. 

Drawing upon the philosophy of Maggie's and the belief that great design can help people feel better, Maggie's, Yorkshire uses several 'healthy' materials and energy-saving techniques. 

The building's structure is built from a prefabricated and sustainably-sourced spruce timber system. 

Porous materials such as lime plaster help to maintain the internal humidity of the naturally­ ventilated building, which has been achieved through careful consideration of the building's form and orientation. 

Interiors

The interior of the centre explores everything that is often missed in healing environments: natural and tactile materials, soft lighting, and a variety of spaces designed to encourage social opportunities as well as quiet contemplation.

Heatherwick studio also designed two tables, inspired by the building's timber fins and built from cork and engineered beech timber, which reside in the heart of the centre. 

The garden

The rooftop garden, designed by award-winning landscape designers Balston Aguis, is inspired by Yorkshire woodlands and features native English species of plants, alongside areas of evergreen to provide warmth in the winter months.

Inspired by Maggie Keswick Jencks' love of gardening, the people who visit the centre are encouraged to help take care of the 23,000 bulbs and 17,000 plants. 

The architect – Heatherwick Studio

Heatherwick Studio's motivation is to design soulful and interesting places which embrace and celebrate the complexities of the real world.

"It's been a tremendous experience and honour to design the Maggie's centre in Yorkshire. Our aim was to build a home for people affected by cancer that would be soulful and welcoming, unlike other typical clinical environments.

By only using natural, sustainable materials and immersing the building in thousands of plants, there was a chance for us to make an extraordinary environment capable of inspiring visitors with hope and perseverance during their difficult health journeys. 

Maggie's, Yorkshire has been a very special project for me and my team because we are convinced that there are kinder, more empathic ways to design places that can have powerful impacts on the way that we feel. This is particularly important in the design of healthcare environments, but is so frequently overlooked."

– Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio