AHR's Countess of Chester women and children's building wins Building Better Healthcare award

The Countess of Chester Hospital Women and Children's Building, designed by AHR, has won Best Healthcare Development over £75m at the Building Better Healthcare Awards 2026, the practice announced on 13 November.

The 12,210 sqm building in Chester was designed for Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and brings maternity, neonatal and paediatric services together under one roof, according to AHR.

AHR said the project team spent three years working with 14 clinical teams, patients, parents and community groups to shape the design. The practice extended the building from two to three storeys during the design process.

Gareth Banks, Director and Healthcare Sector Lead at AHR, said: "The people who are going to be most impacted by climate change are the ones being born here. We have an obligation to start the journey now."

Net zero standard

AHR describes the building as the first in England approved under the NHS Net Zero Building Standard. According to VINCI Construction UK, NHS England introduced the standard in 2023; NHS England's own publication says it applies to all investment in new buildings and upgrades to existing facilities with a project cost of £25m or more, for schemes at pre-strategic outline business case approval stage from 1 October 2023.

AHR said the all-electric design, high-performance fabric and low-carbon materials achieve 25% lower embodied carbon than the NHS standard requires. The practice also reported 220 MWh of annual energy savings from high-efficiency building services, an airtightness rating of 2.4 and a BREEAM Excellent rating.

VINCI said the building was built over nearly three years. AHR's project page notes that the NHS has set out plans to remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the public estate by 2035.

Scale and social value

AHR describes the scheme as a 180-bed building that is home to more than 500 staff and serves 2,300 families a year. The project delivered £27m in social value, more than 300 local jobs and 1,500 apprentice weeks, the practice said.

Jane Tomkinson OBE, Chief Executive of Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This building sets a new benchmark for what modern healthcare should look like; compassionate, inclusive, and future-focused."

Natasha Macdonald, Director of Midwifery at Countess of Chester Hospital, said everything from single rooms protecting privacy to courtyards and terraces for staff breaks had been thought through, and that the building was designed for care, wellbeing and the future.

Run of awards

The Building Better Healthcare win follows a series of prizes for the scheme this year. AHR announced on 14 October 2026 that the building had been named Project of the Year at the Government Property Awards 2026.

According to the practice, it has also won Sub-Regional Project of the Year and the Sustainability Award at the North West Regional Construction Awards, and Best Public or Community Building in the North West at the LABC Building Excellence Awards 2026.

Simon Corben, Director and Head of Profession for NHS Estates and Facilities at NHS England, described the building's compliance with the Net Zero Building Standard as a landmark achievement.

AHR said the Building Better Healthcare award recognises new-build and refurbishment healthcare projects for design, construction, delivery and operational performance.