Sophie Crocker from White Arkitekter provides an insight into the design of the new Velindre Cancer Centre, a low-carbon facility which is setting a benchmark for sustainability

As the NHS works to decarbonise its vast estate and meet ambitious climate targets, all eyes are be on a 56,670sq m infrastructure on a 7,86-hectare site currently under development in North Cardiff.

The new Velindre Cancer Centre is not only set to be a state-of-the-art treatment facility; it is a bold experiment in delivering a complex, high-performing healthcare building to net-zero carbon standards.

For the healthcare property sector, this is more than a headline – it is a live case study in how carbon, care, and cost can (and must) converge.

Why net zero matters in healthcare

The NHS is responsible for an estimated 5% of UK carbon emissions, with buildings making up a large share of that footprint.

Given that healthcare buildings often operate 24/7, have stringent technical requirements, and are built to last decades; the stakes could not be higher.

The Welsh Government’s Future Generations Act and its own net zero by 2050 commitment adds regional urgency – and an incredible opportunity.

With many NHS estates approaching obsolescence, a wave of redevelopment is inevitable.

The question is how we will build the hospitals we need to be climate resilient for the future.

Designing for carbon and care

Currently under construction on a greenfield site in North Cardiff, the new Velindre Cancer Centre will serve as a specialist facility delivering chemotherapy, diagnostic imaging, clinical trials, and radiotherapy.

Scheduled to open in Spring 2027, it will have nine radiotherapy bunkers – made up of eight clinical linacs and one research bunker.

Beyond its clinical ambition, the new Velindre Cancer Centre is being designed as a high-performance, low-impact building:

• The superstructure features a mass timber-frame, three-storey atrium – an unprecedented move in UK healthcare – which locks in carbon and reduces reliance on carbon-intensive concrete and steel
• Concrete-alternative shielding blocks have been specified for the linear accelerator bunker walls to offer a reusable, demountable solution as opposed to poured concrete

The project is targeting BREEAM Excellent and has been designed to align with the RIBA 2030 targets for commercial buildings (as healthcare targets are not specified) – a rare achievement for a hospital.

The current aim exceeds the target for commercial buildings.

Meanwhile, the Energy Use Intensity (EUI) is projected to be significantly less than the average hospital currently.

All internal materials have been painstakingly evaluated for environmental performance across their lifecycle, from manufacture through installation to end of life.

This analysis has the bonus effect of resulting in materials which also support occupant health and wellbeing with low/no VOCs, natural antibacterial properties, and biophilic effects.

Operational systems will include Air Source Heat Pumps and rooftop photovoltaic panels.

No energy will be produced by fossil fuel-operated systems, with the centre designed to be an all-electric building.

And over 10% of the site’s electricity use is projected to be generated on site through renewables – PV panels.

Together, these measures position the new Velindre Cancer Centre as a testbed for whole-life net zero thinking, both in terms of upfront design and long-term performance.

The bigger opportunity

For estate managers, design teams, and investors alike, Velindre offers a new model: one that proves that clinical complexity does not have to come at the expense of sustainability.

In fact, the long-term benefits are clear:

• Lower operational costs through improved energy efficiency and renewable generation
• Improved patient and staff environments, with healthier materials, better air quality, and access to natural light
• Positive public perception, especially for NHS trusts under increasing pressure to demonstrate environmental leadership
• Futureproofing against regulation, rising energy prices, and insurance risks linked to climate exposure

The project also serves as a real-time laboratory for low-carbon procurement, supply chain engagement, and modern methods of construction.

Risks and realities

Of course, there are challenges.

‘Net zero’ is a contested and often inconsistently-applied term.

There’s a danger of sustainability being watered down under cost pressures, especially within tightly-constrained NHS capital programmes.

Healthcare projects, in particular, face specific barriers:

• Limited contractor experience in delivering low-carbon construction in complex clinical settings
• Alignment of clinical and IPC requirements with low-carbon and innovative materials and finishes
• Supply chain constraints around specialist materials and systems
• Operational carbon measurement that must span both regulated (e.g. heating, cooling) and unregulated loads (e.g. medical equipment, IT) which can be significant

This is why third-party verification – such as that offered by the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UK NZCBS) – is critical.

We look forward to the results of the recently-launched UK NZCBS Healthcare Pilot programme with keen interest.

Without transparent, verifiable data, ‘net zero’ risks becoming more a marketing tool than a meaningful outcome.

Lessons to be learned

There are clear takeaways for the wider healthcare property industry:

• Adopt lifecycle carbon accounting from the outset, not as an afterthought
• Push for timber and hybrid structures where feasible—especially for non-acute healthcare facilities
• Align with national standards like the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard to ensure credibility
• Ensure sustainability is locked into procurement, not left to the value engineering stage
• Invest in soft landings and post-occupancy monitoring, to close the performance gap

Ultimately, projects like Velindre demonstrate that sustainability is not a ‘nice to have’; it’s a strategic imperative for NHS trusts, developers, and contractors looking to stay ahead of policy, cost, and reputational risk.

Conclusion

The Velindre Cancer Centre represents more than a major new investment in specialist care – it is a signal of where the future of healthcare infrastructure can and must go with the right approach to delivery.

By combining ambitious design, new materials, and third-party accountability, it’s setting a new benchmark not just for Wales, but for the UK.

As the sector grapples with how to decarbonise one of the most-complex parts of the built environment, Velindre stands out as a beacon; one that proves that even in the most demanding of sectors, net zero is possible – if we design like we mean it and challenge traditional cost assumptions that often act as a barrier to low-carbon solutions.