The London Institute for Healthcare Engineering wins at the European Healthcare Design Awards 2025

Situated within the historic St Thomas’ hospital campus, operated by Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London; LIHE is a landmark facility that redefines how research, education, and clinical care can converge to fast-track medical innovation. A transformative collaboration with King’s College London, LIHE has been recognised as a benchmark for modern design, sustainability, and interdisciplinary integration in the life sciences sector. 

The judging panel praised the project’s collaborative delivery, commenting: 

“It was clear how closely the project team had collaborated with Professor Sebastien Ourselin, Director of LIHE as sponsor to deliver on a vision that integrated the research and innovation ecosystem with the hospital’s clinical services.” 

The vision for LIHE was driven by a desire to foster deep collaboration between academics, clinicians, industry, and researchers—accelerating the development of breakthrough treatments. At the heart of LIHE’s vision is the “Research Eco-system” – a concept realised through highly adaptable spaces, flexible floorplates, and advanced facilities. The transparent façade, featuring a striking helix staircase, not only offers visual connection to the building’s interior but also reflects the collaborative ethos at the centre of its design. Internally, spaces can be seamlessly reconfigured to support both open-plan teamwork and individual research, thanks to demountable partitions and flat-slab construction which allow for effortless adaptation. 

Nick O’Donnell, Director of Estates & Facilities at King’s College London, said: 

“The successful delivery of LIHE is a major achievement for the University and our partners. It realises a vision of integrated innovation that supports the future of healthcare delivery, and we are delighted this has been recognised at the European Healthcare Design Awards. This award is a reflection of the collaborative effort and expertise that has gone into the project from conception through to completion.” 

LIHE’s design is deeply rooted in its context, with a material palette and architectural response that respects and complements the surrounding Grade I & II listed buildings. The challenge of creating a state-of-the-art research hub within such a historic setting was met with a careful blend of contemporary form and contextual sensitivity, resulting in a building that is as innovative as it is respectful of its environment. 

Professor Sebastien Ourselin, FREng FMedSci, Director of the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering and project sponsor, added: 

“From the outset, LIHE was conceived as a place where barriers between disciplines, organisations and sectors could be broken down to accelerate health innovation. I’m immensely proud of the team and partners who have helped bring this vision into reality. This award highlights what is possible when we design spaces that support collaboration, creativity and translational impact.”