The Elekta Unity MR-linac is the world’s first radiation therapy system to integrate high-field MR imaging with radiation delivery for cancer treatments. It will enable doctors to view both tumors and healthy tissue in real-time and adapt radiation doses at the time of treatment. The design challenge was to merge two complex technologies (MRI scanner and linac) without compromising the comfort or safety of users. A key to this achievement was considering the MR-linac as a room, not a machine, and reflecting the operator’s professionalism and sense of control.