West Midlands Ambulance Service
Location
Oldbury
Value
£25 Million
Total size
76,000sqft
Developer
Stoford
End user
West Midlands Ambulance Service
BREEAM
Excellent
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) serves a population of 5.6 million people covering more than 5,000 miles 2 made up of Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Coventry, Birmingham and Black Country conurbation.
As the region’s emergency ambulance service, WMAS respond to around 4,000 ‘999’ calls each day. To manage that level of demand, they employ approximately 6,000 staff and operate from 15 new fleet preparation hubs across the region.
This development was designed to facilitates and accommodate the Operations, Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Training and Distribution functions for WMAS.
The facade incorporates a mixture of profiled and flat cladding panels, square format windows and dual height curtain walling to create an understated yet cleanly structured design which is punctuated by a prominent, coloured central feature that reflects the branding of the WMAS. The result is a ‘wrap over’ feature to the front elevation which serves to denote the building to visitors and convey the high quality architecture that is reflected throughout. The entrance is further reinforced by the incorporation of a bespoke canopy, further integrating the colour branding into the design and emphasising the main approach.
The two wings of the building follow a more industrial typology, which links the building seamlessly in the surrounding Percy Business Park. The monotone colours have been specifically chosen to maximise the visual impact of the office block, whilst still reducing the perceived mass of garages and workshops themselves. The WMAS branding is brought through with the level access doors, unifying the disparate elements of the building within a single whole.
A significant feature of the design is the contrasting colour scheme, which has been enhanced by a mixture of cladding profiles and linear glazing to avoid monotony across the elevations. Through the use of recesses and relief patterns, the structural simplicity of the design is lifted, culminating in additional layers of interest to the built form. Each of these elements combine to create an aesthetic that simultaneously links into the context and establishes its own unique identity.
