Austin-Smith:Lord were appointed by AECOM to undertake the project design as a key member of their multidisciplinary team through the SEWTAPS framework. The site, purchased by Cardiff University, is adjacent to the UHW hospital site so ideally placed for the new school as staff and students frequently attend both. The three main blocks were originally built during the post war period as a military hospital, but the site was more recently used by the Department Of Work and Pensions for office accommodation, with Block 4 added by them in the 1990s.

The project is being undertaken in four phases. The initial phase was to refurbish teaching space at East Gate House in the city centre used by the school. The second and largest phase has been the refurbishment of Blocks 2 & 4 at the DWP site, creating the new main hub for the university’s School Of Healthcare. Block 2 comprises of clinical training spaces, mock hospital facilities, classroom and tutorial spaces as well as office and breakout spaces for staff and students. Block 4 contains post graduate study space and staff offices The third phase is the re-purposing of the decanted mock wards at Ty Dewi Sant on the hospital site. The remaining future phase will be the refurbishment of blocks 1 & 3 and the old refectory block on the DWP Site.