Royal College of Physicians at RIBA North

The Royal College of Physician's Deputy Chief Executive, Clive Constable,will be speaking at our RIBA North forum in Liverpool in February, continuing the health and science research cluster theme we discussed at Future Cities Forum today.

The Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust CEO, David Probert contributed alongside the Director of Real Estate Development at King's College London, Peter Ward, on the importance of linking up London's health centres of excellence in order to compete internationally.

Clive has been leading the £35 million project for the creation of a northern head-quarters for the RCP, and he will be talking about the organisation's out-reach programme to medical professionals and communities. Healthcare is a core sector for Liverpool's city regeneration and the 'Northern Powerhouse' vision of a joined-up, economically successful North.

The new building - designed by AHR Architects and called the Spine after the skeletal staircase design on the northern elevation - will form an important part of the £1 billion Paddington Village scheme. The RCP will take seven floors of the Spine to create a centre of clinical excellence, while the remaining seven floors will be let to businesses working in the health, science and education sectors.

Morgan Sindall has been progressing the planning for the RCP's northern HQ, with AHR and Arup appointed to carry out the design and engineering. When completed in 2020 the Spine is expected to be one of the healthiest work places in the UK for physical and mental well-being, when it achieves the international WELL standard of modern building design.