Newcastle University Dental School

MEP design for a new dental training school on a live acute hospital floor

Newcastle University needed a modern dental training school on the top floor of its 1974 Dental Hospital on the Royal Victoria Infirmary site. The building is a working acute hospital run by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, served by central MEP shared across the site, so remodelling one floor meant designing into services the rest of the building relied on, and to both the University’s and the NHS Trust’s standards at once.

CAD21 joined the GSS Architecture-led team as MEP designer for RIBA Stages 2 to 6, covering 1,000m² and a complete new mechanical and electrical installation. The floor stayed live throughout, with Level 6 occupied directly below, so the design had to keep everything running while the new school took shape above.

The spaces each asked for something different: laboratories needing correct pressure regimes for fume cupboards, seminar rooms for large groups, and digital simulation suites with high heat gains. Variable air volume dampers let the floor’s air modulate with the whole-building system, so ventilation to every other floor was untouched and the tie-in needed only out-of-hours commissioning. Investigating the existing risers and ductwork meant much of the primary service could be cleaned, tested and reused, saving cost and programme while cutting waste.

The facility was delivered with the hospital running around it throughout, and the project was a CENE 2025 nominee for Integration and Collaborative Working.

Photo credit – Robertson Construction North East