Building Visit to Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People
Wednesday 25th June 2025
Report by: Belén Francos-Taylor | AfH Executive Committee
As part of this year’s Architects for Health Events, AfH members were invited to tour the Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People in South East London. The visit was generously hosted by Graham Harris, Principal and Architect at Arcadis, who guided us through the remarkable facility.
Nestled within a peaceful, landscaped environment at the heart of the Maudsley Hospital, near King’s College Hospital, the Centre represents a pioneering, integrated approach to the mental health care of children and young people. The nine-storey building houses outpatient and inpatient services, diagnostics, therapy suites, a school, and collaborative working areas – all designed to foster interdisciplinary work between clinicians and researchers, accelerating the translation of research into improved patient outcomes.
From the moment of arrival, it is clear that this is not a typical clinical environment. The reception and waiting area felt more like a vibrant café – open ceilings, bold splashes of colour, and an energetic atmosphere instantly create a sense of warmth and welcome.
The lower floors are arranged around a central staircase, beautifully top-lit to bring daylight deep into the building. Built-in seating nooks punctuate these areas, providing colourful and comfortable spots for reading, conversation, or quiet reflection, adjacent to informal collaboration zones.
On the upper floors, inpatient and therapy spaces continue the theme of openness and serenity.. Natural light, muted colour palettes, and open-plan layouts contribute to a therapeutic environment that promotes a sense of safety, comfort, and dignity for young patients.
The Centre also includes state-of-the-art consultation rooms, sensory spaces and family support areas. Shell spaces have been provided for future installations such as a MEG scanner and VR suite—further underlining the Centre’s focus on innovation and early intervention
Designing on a constrained site within a conservation area presented several challenges. The building needed to be multi-storey and stepped back to minimises the impact to the neighbouring properties. The vertical arrangement required a secondary lift access route to offer direct access to inpatient floors, distinctly apart from outpatient and therapy circulation.
The opportunities created were a series of landscaped terraces spread over multiple levels. These outdoor areas provide fresh air, access to nature and moments of respite. Carefully considered planting schemes, and high-quality hard landscaping and furniture combine to create genuinely beautiful external spaces.
Personal highlights for me – the seamless integration of clinical, educational and research functions; the abundant natural daylight; the use of contemporary furnishings and vibrant colour accents, the exceptional landscaped terraces. Growth Industry were the Landscape Architects and they working “hand in Glove” with Arcadis throughout the design development to get the integrated landscaping and terraces to blend so well. The Pears Maudsley Centre is a true exemplar of therapeutic design.
