Grant Associates Shape Landscape Design for Midland Metropolitan University Hospital

Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH), one of Europe’s most advanced healthcare facilities, has opened its doors in West Birmingham, with landscape architecture by Grant Associates playing a key role in the new design.

The hospital, designed by HKS, Cagni Williams, and Sonnemann Toon Architects for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, revolutionises healthcare delivery in the region, combining cutting-edge medical facilities with a restorative and sustainable landscape.

Grant Associates’ landscape vision for Midland Metropolitan University Hospital is centred around biophilic design, connecting people with nature to support both physical and mental health. The design provides a narrative on the Canalside location and habitats, and features expansive views onto courtyards, terraces and roof gardens to support a strong inside/outside relationship, connecting this large building with its natural surroundings. Key themes include promoting active, healthy lifestyles, encouraging biodiversity, and creating spaces that are welcoming, inclusive, and therapeutic.

Sustainability is at the heart of the design. The landscape employs sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), using the blue network of local canals and water systems for both aesthetic and functional benefit. Species-rich rain gardens form an integral part of the green infrastructure, managing surface water runoff while creating new homes for local wildlife. Biodiverse roofs are also a key feature, designed to provide habitats for protected species, such as the black redstart, and support local biodiversity.

Grant Associates’ strategy ensures that the landscape is adaptive to climate change, with resilient planting typologies, sustainable irrigation solutions, and planting that supports both wildlife and human activity. The landscape has been designed to endure, with a 30-year management and maintenance plan in place to secure its longevity.

Amongst key features of Grant Associates’ landscape design are the following:

• The Green: A central green space the size of a cricket pitch, surrounded by landscaped beds, mature tree planting and pathways, offering opportunities for community events and informal recreation.
• The Community Garden : A growing garden includes fruiting trees, herb gardens, and natural play spaces.
• Canal-Side Walks: A new linear landscape along the Cape Arm features wetland habitats and tow path improvements creating a vibrant green space for both the hospital and local community to enjoy.
• Internal Courtyards: A series of calm and green internal courtyards provide therapeutic spaces for patients and staff, promoting healing and well-being. The internal courtyards are viewed through adjacent glazing and from above – the layout and designs inspired by stained glass (a reference to Chance Brothers and Smethwick’s industrial heritage).
• External Roof Terraces : The Winter Garden, a spectacular architectural indoor space spanning five floors, represents a living heart for the hospital with natural light and views across Birmingham. The Winter Garden serves as a central hub for visitors, patients and staff, opening onto a sequence a roof terraces for external relaxation and reflection. Landscape terraces include a morning garden (east facing) and an evening garden (west facing) both providing colourful seasonal displays complementing the architectural cladding. A Dry Heath Garden takes its inspiration from the dry heathland of the nearby Galton Valley - with shallow, dry soils and exposed to open skies with little shade. This habitat forms a link between The Green and canal-side planting with the upper garden spaces. Species include Heathers (Calluna vulgarisa and Erica cinerea), Gorse , Birch and native grasses.
• Biodiverse Roofs: These green roofs not only enhance the hospital’s environmental credentials but also create important habitats for wildlife, contributing to the hospital’s green infrastructure.

Photographer credit: Paul Rafferty