A World-First Healing Garden at Height
This landmark project at King’s College Hospital forms part of the world’s first critical care rooftop garden, created on top of the hospital’s new Critical Care Unit (CCU). Designed to bring the proven benefits of nature directly into intensive care, the space allows critically ill patients to experience fresh air, planting and open sky while remaining fully supported by medical teams.
The garden has been conceived as an extension of the CCU itself — enabling patients to be safely moved outdoors without disconnecting from essential life-support systems.
Our Contribution
We were appointed to design and manufacture bespoke elements that would meet the project’s exceptional clinical, technical and environmental requirements.
Our scope included:
- Bespoke fibreglass planters and planting solutions, engineered for rooftop conditions, strict load limits and long-term durability.
- Custom-designed medical care cabinets, purpose-built to house the critical care equipment that patients remain connected to while in the garden.
- Integrated design coordination to ensure that all elements worked seamlessly with the building services, medical infrastructure and clinical workflows.
The medical care cabinets were carefully designed and built to allow patients to remain fully connected to monitoring and life-support systems, while being discreetly incorporated into the landscape setting. This balance between clinical functionality and calm, non-institutional aesthetics was central to the success of the space.
Collaboration & Project Team
The success of this pioneering project was made possible through close collaboration between a multidisciplinary team of specialists:
Designer: Nigel Dunnett
Design Collaboration: Sarah Price Landscapes
Architects: BMJ
Lead Contractor: Carmelcrest Construction
Landscape Subcontractor: Kingston Landscape Group
Structural Engineers: Ross & Partners
Plant Supply: Wyevale Nurseries Ltd
Archway Shelter: Architen Landrell
Project Management: Bluelight — Malcolm Hankey
Funded by: Support King’s
This collaborative approach ensured the rooftop garden met the highest standards of clinical safety, technical performance and therapeutic design.
Designing for Healing & Clinical Performance
Every element was developed with patient wellbeing and safety in mind. The garden supports:
- Reduced stress and anxiety through direct contact with nature
- Improved emotional wellbeing for patients, families and staff
- Continued delivery of intensive care in an outdoor setting
By combining bespoke landscape fabrication with specialist medical integration, the project demonstrates how thoughtful design can humanise even the most complex healthcare environments.
A New Benchmark for Healthcare Landscapes
The King’s College Hospital Critical Care Rooftop Garden sets a new standard for healthcare design, showing how bespoke fabrication and close collaboration can help redefine what is possible in clinical settings.
This project highlights our ability to deliver bespoke solutions that respond to both medical and environmental challenges, creating spaces that support recovery, dignity and innovation in healthcare.
