We’re excited to announce the appointment of a highly-skilled design team to lead the transformation of the Grade II* listed Old Medical School, located on the Leeds General Infirmary site, into a cutting-edge Health Tech Innovation Hub.
The team will be led by Leeds-based architectural practice AHR, renowned for their expertise in life sciences and innovation projects such as Nexus at the University of Leeds and The Spine in Liverpool. Supporting them is Buro Happold as Engineering Consultant, Buttress as Heritage Consultant, Burnley Wilson Fish as Quantity Surveyor, and Zerum as Planning Consultant. Together, this experienced team will ensure the successful delivery of this ambitious project, balancing the building’s rich heritage with the demands of modern functionality.
This redevelopment is part of our agreement to acquire the building from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) once the property is vacated later this year. The Old Medical School will be repurposed as a Health Tech Innovation Hub, marking the first phase of LTHT’s Innovation Village and a significant part of Leeds’ £1.5 billion Innovation Arc.
The 75,000 sq ft hub will include co-working spaces, meeting rooms, event areas, offices and laboratories. Designed to encourage collaboration, it will bring together university spinouts, start-ups, established companies and industry leaders to work alongside the NHS and academic institutions. Our goal is to create an environment where scientific research can lead to practical healthcare solutions, driving economic growth and improving patient care.
By integrating historic architecture with contemporary innovation, the hub will cultivate creativity, collaboration and technological advancements that will shape the future of healthcare within Leeds and the wider West Yorkshire region.
Mark Jackson, spokesperson for SGI, said:
“The Old Medical School is a very complicated building, located in the middle of a working hospital site, which brings unique challenges to its redevelopment. It will also serve as a catalyst for the wider Innovation Village, so it’s absolutely essential we have the right team on board to get this right.
“With AHR’s expertise in life sciences, Buttress’s heritage sensitivity, and the trusted collaboration of Buro Happold, BWF and Zerum, we’re confident this team has the experience and capability to deliver on every aspect of this ambitious vision.”
Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Leeds General Infirmary site, added:
“Progress with the redevelopment of the Old Medical School is moving ahead really well, breathing new life into this grand, historic building that has witnessed countless contributions to healthcare in Leeds and across the world. Under this work, that legacy will continue.
“It is a key part of wider plans in this part of the city to create an Innovation Village, transforming health and life science-led research and care. It will also complement the development of a new state-of-the-art hospital on the Leeds General Infirmary site.”
Gurminder Sanghera, Director at AHR, commented:
“This redevelopment marks a significant milestone for the city of Leeds, at the heart of the Innovation Arc. The Old Medical School has a rich heritage, and our vision is to seamlessly weave in modern interventions to create an innovative facility that will foster and support a new community and ecosystem where cutting-edge health tech innovations can take place within a dramatic setting, whilst preserving and celebrating the building’s historical significance. This project is a true testament to the power of architecture to bridge past and future, in an exemplar and sustainable retrofit solution.”
The design team is now working to refine the plans for the redevelopment, with a pre-application submission to Leeds City Council scheduled for early 2025.
