8 October 2026

The Countess of Chester Hospital Women and Children’s Building has received three major industry accolades, further establishing the project as one of the UK’s leading healthcare developments.

The £110 million facility was named ‘Project of the Year’ at the 2026 Government Property Awards , ‘Most Sustainable Building Project’ at the Building Innovation Awards 2026 and has also been named the North West regional winner in the ‘Best Public or Community Building category’ at the LABC Building Excellence Awards, securing a place in the 2026 LABC Grand Finals.

This recognition reflects the collective efforts of Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England, IHP, Waterman, AHR, Alan Johnston Partnership, Ecospheric and the wider project team, who worked together to deliver an ambitious response to the hospital’s Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) challenge.

Countess of Chester Hospital Women & Children’s Building

The three-storey building replaces a 1970s facility and brings maternity, neonatal, paediatric and gynaecology services together under one roof. The project forms part of the NHS’s national programme to remove Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) from healthcare buildings while creating modern environments that support patients, families and staff.

The project’s sustainability credentials have been a major contributor to its industry recognition. Working through the ProCure23 framework, our building services team delivered the mechanical and electrical design, helping to support the wider project team’s ambition to align with the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (NZCBS).

In collaboration with the wider design team, we developed a low-carbon building services strategy that balances patient comfort, operational resilience and energy efficiency. The new facility incorporates high-efficiency heat pump technology, renewable energy generation through a 400 sq m photovoltaic array and an intelligent Building Management System that helps optimise building performance while reducing energy consumption.

Alongside its environmental credentials, the project has been recognised for delivering complex infrastructure at pace. Constructed on a live hospital campus, the development required close coordination between the Trust, NHS England, IHP, the design team and specialist supply chain partners to maintain healthcare services while delivering a modern replacement for a critical healthcare facility.

These three award wins are a testament to the expertise and collaborative spirit of everyone involved. Together, the project team has delivered a facility that improves outcomes for patients and families today while providing a resilient, future-focused asset for generations to come. As the project progresses to the 2026 LABC Grand Finals, with winners to be announced on 22 January 2027 at Grosvenor House Hotel, London, the Women and Children’s Building continues to set a benchmark for sustainable healthcare design and delivery.

Read more about the Countess of Chester Hospital and Waterman’s contribution to this award-winning healthcare development here.