Scheme named after former Leeds Rhinos scrum-half Rob Burrows, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2019
Corstorphine & Wright has won the commission to design a motor neurone disease centre in Leeds for former professional rugby league player Rob Burrow.
The former Leeds Rhinos scrum-half was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019, just two years after retiring after a 16-year career.
Burrow was made an MBE in the 2021 New Years Honours List for services to the rugby league and the motor neurone disease community.
He was also awarded the Helen Rollason award at the 2022 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award for raising awareness of and fundraising for the disease.
The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, part of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, aims to create a peaceful environment for patients and their families and a place to help them ‘live in the now’.
“My vision is that people diagnosed with MND hear the news in a calming and tranquil sanctuary,” Burrow said.
“I envisage a beautiful, welcoming building that is user and family friendly. A place where patients feel comfortable to bring family members into a safe and homely environment for them, with signs of hope and optimism.”
The NHS Trust is raising funds for the £6.8m centre with a series of charity events including a marathon which took place in May, but there is still £2.3m left to raise.
Corstorphine & Wright said its vision for the new centre is to provide access to nature and gardens, defined clinical spaces and a communal hub for families to be together throughout their care.
The practice undertook its first engagement session this week with an audience of 20 people, including Burrow and his parents.
Toby Ingle, associate director at Corstorphine & Wright, said: “The practice is honoured to be appointed to design the new centre. The project will be delivered collaboratively with the MND community, including patients, families, staff as well as the people of Leeds, to ensure that the centre is not only state of the art for the treatment of MND but ‘captures the spirit of Leeds and the Yorkshire region’.”
Craige Richardson, Executive Director: Estate & Facilities, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Corstorphine & Wright on board to the project and to start the journey that will now take us through to the construction of the new centre.
“This is a milestone moment in the project and we’re looking forward to an exciting phase of creativity as the team brings their experience across healthcare and commercial building design to this unique project. This first engagement session has begun, and we’ve really embarked on the journey now.”
Last month Corstorphine & Wright revealed it had won the job to design a refurbishment of the Vietnamese embassy in South Kensington on a project team including interior designers LXA Projects.
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