Purpan Hospital, Toulouse

In 2014, a new Purpan Hospital opened its doors to the public: Pierre-Paul Riquet Hospital (PPR). The 84,000m² building includes three medical centres, bringing together three previously dispersed specialist areas of healthcare: neurosciences, locomotor and cephalic disorders – totalling 600 beds and 27 operating rooms. Patients are at the heart of the hospital’s design with light and airy spaces and 80% of the rooms being single, providing privacy and comfort. The hospital is also easier to access thanks to a new 400-space car park and better connections to public transport.

A central challenge was the sharp incline of the site, requiring 6,000m² of Diaphragm walls and 24,000m² of earthworks. Our services on the project included structural engineering, building services (MEP: HVAC, electrical, plumbing and others hydraulic services), medical equipment design and project management.

Another key objective for our client, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (C.H.U.), was to improve the efficiency of their emergency services. Our teams were involved in the design of the new 28,500m² Intensive Care Unit (ICU) building, directly linked to Pierre-Paul Riquet Hospital. This facility provides services such as accident and emergency, anaesthesia and reanimation and intensive care.

The restructuring and specialization of these facilities has enabled a better and more efficient delivery of Purpan’s healthcare services. Patients in need of specific treatment are sent directly to the appropriate service, improving waiting time and treatment.

Sustainability was central to the design with all new buildings fulfilling a set of French environmental objectives (‘haute qualité environnementale’) and sourcing energy from renewable sources and the site’s own central biomass energy plants.