Children’s Hospital (UK)

Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital

• Location: Birmingham (England)
• Architect: AEW Architects
• Type of construction: new
• Installation system : Bardage Avec Ossature (BAO)
• Product : SHINING SILK

Ronald McDonald House Charities is an independent charity offering free accommodation to families with children in hospital across the UK, so they can stay close to their little patients and feel cared for during these difficult times.

The new Ronald McDonald Family House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital is the largest the organization has commissioned to date, with 60 en-suite family rooms and communal areas where parents of hospitalized children can meet and support each other.

AEW Architects wanted to make a statement and enhance the building’s surroundings, while underlining the presence and brand image of Ronald McDonald House Charities. The imaginative use of materials and colors contributes as much to this result as the shape of the building. To realize this complex plan, Carea proposed LISSE BRILLANT cladding from its wide range of framed cladding systems. The client was Bowmer & Kirkland, and specialist contractor ECL Contracts was responsible for installing the façade.

The cladding system provides a clean, tailored finish to every element and every plane, while the smooth rendering of the secondary layer creates a contrast with the neutral background. Given the use of the building and its connection with an organization dedicated to children, the use of color was carefully considered, both in terms of aesthetics and for its psychological effect. Eight different Carea cladding system colors were chosen for the exterior: three greens, three grays, one white and one black. The colors, supplied with different matte and gloss finishes, were recreated to match specified RAL colors. The greens were chosen for their association with nature and their soothing properties, while the gray and silver tones are reassuringly neutral, enriching the substance of the cladding. The introduction of color creates a very lively building, with a unique identity that is very important to the organization’s national building program.

The logistical management of this complex exterior cladding was very carefully planned, especially as, in addition to the different colors, 521 different panel sizes were required to create the desired pattern. Carea, a leader in facade cladding, took on the production challenge, while ECL Contracts lent its technical expertise and project management experience to the architect’s vision.

While creating a stunning exterior for the Ronald McDonald Family House, the insulated cladding system, composed of 14 mm thick Carea panels, provides exceptional thermal insulation, protecting the building from temperature variations and eliminating thermal bridges. It also creates excellent sound insulation, ensuring peace and quiet in the family rooms and common areas.

In addition to their excellent performance, Carea cladding panels have a long service life and are therefore very economical. Resistant to the effects of the weather, they are non-porous, so graffiti cannot penetrate them.

The grooved panels are easy to install and hold securely in place. On this site, Eurofox Engineering created the cladding support system, made of vertical aluminum rails and rigid insulation panels, to further optimize the building’s thermal efficiency. The Carea cladding was then installed in levels over the height of the building, taking great care to follow the architect’s vision.

Now complete, the Ronald McDonald Family House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital is a real eye-catcher. Carea’s façade makes it a center of attraction, and masterfully demonstrates the essential role that aesthetic elements can play in a building’s functions, in this case helping to create a calm, restful environment for the parents of hospitalized children.