eLIFT Cumbria is the first Express LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) in the UK being a public/private partnership for the development of new healthcare facilities throughout Cumbria. The Cleator Moor project together with a sister project for nearby Cockermouth are the first projects to be undertaken under this planned ten year development programme. The Cleator Moor project provides primary healthcare facilities for the small town of Cleator Moor and the surrounding mainly rural community in west Cumbria. Facilities include: 9 GP Consulting / Treatment Rooms, 6 Dental Treatment Rooms, Primary Care Trust Treatment / Physiotherapy facilities, a Community room for group activities for use by all members of the community, a commercial Pharmacy. The common reception, open-plan office and ancillary areas shared by all GP, Dentist and PCT staff. The building is located close to the heart of the town being immediately adjacent to the Howgill Children's Centre and a number of local clubs and sports facilities. The design aims to balance clinical, functional and security requirements with an environment which is healing and therapeutic and which promotes a sense of well-being for patients and staff alike. A new high quality external public space has been created at the main entrance reinforcing the significance of the facilities to the local community. A key objective of the design has been to provide a clearly organised user-friendly building centred around a double height hub which forms the heart of the building allowing simple, easily comprehensible, circulation. Daylight and natural ventilation are important elements in the design. The building is designed to meet BREEAM Excellent standard for sustainable design. Although deliberately modern in appearance the building is intended to be respectful to its environment and materials have been selected to be sympathetic to those found in the locality whilst reflecting the civic importance of the building; they include red/brown brick, random-coursed local slate, roughcast render, and flat-panel coloured cladding together with colour-coated aluminium curtain-walling, windows, doors and rainwater goods. Roofs are mainly pitched and finished with standing seam aluminium, the occasional flat roofs are finished with a single-ply membrane. Internal materials have been selected to provide a warm, non-clinical atmosphere.