Maggie’s Medical Center in Leeds is a center built by Maggie’s Charity Project that provides practical and emotional support to cancer patients. The center is 462 square meters in size and is located on the campus of St. James University Hospital in Leeds. It is the project’s 26th center in the United Kingdom.
The Maggie’s Center at Leeds is designed as a composition of three huge flowerbeds planted on a slope, each surrounding the centerpiece of the building. The heart of the facility is the kitchen and common spaces for group activities, the library, and the gym. Based on the organization’s philosophy and belief that quality design can improve the human condition, the architects used sustainable materials and energy conservation technology to build the Maggie Center. The building’s frame is made of full-grain pine wood sourced from an eco-friendly source. Natural porous materials, such as lime plaster, are found in the interior – they help maintain the humidity level in the room with natural ventilation. Such a proper ventilation system was achieved through the careful planning of the building and the thoughtful arrangement of the rooms. The building used everything that is usually lacking to create a healing environment: natural and tactile materials, soft lighting, and a variety of thoughtful spaces for socializing and solitude. And on the center’s windowsills and shelves, visitors can place things that are important to them to feel at home.
On the roof of the building is a garden inspired by the greenery of the county of Yorkshire. The garden features native English plants as well as evergreen shrubs and spruces that keep you warm during the winter months. The center’s creator, Maggie Keswick Jenks, loved gardening – and as a tribute to her passion, residents are encouraged to take care of native plants.