13.05.05
Knowledge Spa Wins Praises at Awards

The striking Knowledge Spa building has been highly praised in the Michelmores and Western Morning News Commercial Property Awards. The £8.5 million Knowledge Spa, sited at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, is part of the new multi-campus Peninsula Medical School, which also has bases at Plymouth and Exeter. The aim is to encourage doctors, nurses and other health professionals to train and stay in the region.

The Knowledge Spa had been on a shortlist of three for the prestigious South West Project of the Year award which, in the opinion of the judges was deemed to be both innovative and/or exceptional. It was commended as one of two runners up.

The two other projects were the FlyBe New Walker Hangar at Exeter and the Water's Edge housing development at Shaldon.

The results were announced at an award ceremony in Plymouth on Tuesday May 10th. The news came on the eve of the groundbreaking conference at the Knowledge Spa designed to highlight the advantages of businesses working with health services. Professor Colin Roberts, chair of Cornwall Medi-Park Ltd said: "A well designed environment is a powerful stimulus, be it to learning, researching or developing business. The Knowledge Spa building represents the heart of an exciting new development in the creation of wealth through health. This will benefit not only our partners in business, education and healthcare, but more importantly the population to whom healthcare is provided. I am confident that as the Knowledge Spa and Medi-Park develop over the coming years Cornwall will rapidly become an internationally recognised centre of excellence."

The Knowledge Spa was constructed by Mowlem Building and opened by Prince Charles in September 2004. It was built with investment from the University of Plymouth, the Objective One European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the South West Regional Development Agency, Duchy Health Charity, Cornwall County Council, the Learning and Skills Council and the NHS.

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership, said: "The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Objective One Programme has invested in several landmark buildings, including the Knowledge Spa and Combined Universities in Cornwall hub, at Tremough. The iconic buildings emphasise the high ambitions contained within, to boost wealth creation by way of a knowledge-based economy, to educate and retain the region's talented workforce and to integrate research and learning with business."

St Ives based architects Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole were partnered by health specialists Nightingale Associates to undertake the design work. The building includes lecture theatres, library, teaching wards, offices and a refectory, all arranged around a central galleried atrium. There are also business incubation units to encourage growing companies to work with health services while enjoying the benefits of the research facilities and proximity to hospitals. A sustainable design approach was adopted to keep energy demands low.

For further information contact Clare Morgan, Objective One Partnership Office on 01872 223439, or email: cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in The Knowledge Spa through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Editor's notes:

Cornwall Medi-Park Ltd has been established jointly by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust and the University of Plymouth to maximise the economic benefits to Cornwall from a close collaboration between health and business experts. The company will manage its business incubation units in the Knowledge Spa and lead the development of the new Medi-Park to be built adjacent to the existing site.

The Knowledge Spa offers modern, innovative and high quality facilities. It houses the Cornish component of the Peninsula Medical School, the faculty of Health and Social Work of the University of Plymouth and research activities of the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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