King’s College London (KCL) has opened the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering (LIHE), a building dedicated to MedTech innovations. Sat on the banks of the River Thames, on the St. Thomas’s Hospital site opposite the Houses of Parliament, the location is significant and was a key factor in many of the design decisions. LIHE aspires to be a unique institute for pioneering start-ups and SMEs that are advancing new medical technologies. Cundall provided building services, acoustics, fire, air quality, lighting and vertical transportation services.

The project started in 2019 when KCL, in partnership with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, was awarded £32 million in funding. As more science and technology buildings are finding a home in city centres, LIHE’s proximity to London’s universities and hospitals allows a good connection to talent and strengthens patient access. Additionally, this unique location facilitates clinical trials and clinical collaboration. Besides being the hub of MedTech in London, LIHE will have a special interest in supporting SMEs by providing unique research facilities and expertise in active implant prototyping, advanced imaging systems and radionuclide production among many others.

The building is split over 3-storey and 4-storey, with meeting rooms, communal social areas and plant areas. The ground floor houses the building foyer and a mixture of an open research area, open plan administration area and a flexible lecture space. There were multiple designs for heating and cooling for the building to be fossil fuel free. LIHE sits right next to a heritage building, and while lucky in such a wonderful location, roof ventilations were replaced with air handling units in on-floor plant areas instead. To limit nitrogen oxide escaping into the surrounding atmosphere, air filters were installed in each of the air handling units.

Stephen Maddocks, Partner and project lead, commented:

“LIHE is an important project for the city of London and MedTech in general. We are seeing a surge of new Sci Tech start-up companies and labs moving into city centres, with scientists that work in them reaping the benefits of big city lives – a privilege usually only enjoyed by employees in industries such as tech and finance. The scientists who will come to occupy LIHE will enjoy such benefits the building offers.”

With the demand for science and technology growing exponentially, Cundall’s engineering specialists recognise the critical requirement for inventive and evolutionary designs for our clients.