Nuclear Medicine Center, University Hospital of North Norway
LINK has designed the Nuclear Medicine Center (PET - Positron Emission Tomography center) at the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN) which is one of Europe’s most advanced facilities for nuclear medicine manufacturing, comparative medicine and pharmaceutical chemical research.
LINK is one of the leading hospital architects in Scandinavia and this is the company's third cancer treatment center, after the Skandion Clinic in Sweden and the Danish Center for Particle Therapy in Denmark.
The Nuclear Medicine Center (PET) opened the 1st of June 2018 and is playing a key role in innovative national research on cancer and dementia. The project is honored for excellent area efficiency with low gross / net floor area rate as well as smart solutions for logistics and universal design.
The building is characterized by luminous blue-green crystalline glass façades with inlaid warmer colors and wooden cladding panel. The sculptural façade creates an extraordinarily sensuous experience, with the ability to glow in the dark hours and months. The building's aesthetic expression, through form and color, provides a distinctively playful, warm and friendly expression, welcoming everyone. The inspiration for the unique aesthetic is a "melting ice lump" that melts in the spring sun, a metaphor for “a new spring” – providing new life and new possibilities.
The building is designed, and the various functions are organized accordingly, to limit the radiation exposure for employees and patients. Medical production for use in nuclear medicine scanning and imaging is placed below the ground to facilitate short distance from the cyclotron producing the radioactive isotopes.
Below ground level, there is a cyclotron for production of radioactive isotopes, which in the
laboratories will be used to manufacture radiopharmaceuticals for patients in PET scanning. In addition to the Nuclear Medicine Center, the building includes production premises of the Hospital Pharmacy North, as well as the research premises of UiT, the Norwegian Arctic University. The building forms the very hub for unique interdisciplinary environment. Three floors of offices have been added on the roof top floor.
The project had to meet specific requirements regarding logistics. The building has three barriers; One for radioactivity, one for sterile production of medicine and one to ensure preclinical testing without external interference (animal testing). LINK provided a logistics chart showing the flow of goods and personnel transfers in the building, considering these barriers.
The building is vertically divided into two zones. At the forefront you will find publicly accessible areas such as the welcome zone and foyer, as well as the personnel functions such as offices, social rooms, changing rooms and meeting rooms. On the opposite side, you will find the premises for diagnostic and production units as well as the preclinical research institute. Areas that are exposed to radiation in connection isotope production are placed on one side of the building, while patient and visitor related functions are placed with direct access from the street. The building is also connected to the rest of the University Hospital in North Norway’s existing buildings.
BIM-level:
A project-specific plan for the BIM design was made, specifying which building parts should be modelled for the different subjects.
- Geometric accuracy subject modeling
- Internal quality control with Solibri Model Checker
- Collision control between subject models
PROJECT TYPE: New construction
PROJECT LEADER: civil architect Gunnar Næss, LINK arkitektur.
CONTRACT FORM: First prize in competition 2014.
LOCATION: Hansine Hansensvei 82, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
CLIENT: University Hospital of North Norway (UNN)
PROJECT SIZE: 4670m² health care + 5130m² offices.
CONSTRUCTION COST: S 446 mill. NOK for the PET-Center itself + approx. 150 mill. NOK for the office buildings.
STATUS: Completed in 2018.
SCOPE: Architecture, Landscape
PARTNER: Sweco Norge (consulting engineers), Metier (project leader) sketch and preliminary project, Consto (constructor).
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT: Energy rated B, passive house components
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