ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN


range of ideas. Concepts initiated from these sessions helped shape both design philosophy and design outcomes, realised with authentic incorporation through architecture, façade, landscape, and interior design responses that provide familiarity and reflect local Country. Careful use of materials, colours,


finishes, textures, planting, and integrated artwork drawing inspiration from the local environment create meaningful Connections to Country. Patient bedrooms, social areas, and gardens, are appointed with a warm and natural palette. References to significant local features such as sandstone are expressed through colour selection, material layering, and fine-grain textures, while colours of native eucalyptus are woven throughout. Timber was selected in places where people encounter the building fabric, to provide a warmth of touch.


Opening up to the local community At the outset of the project, neighbouring residents raised strong concerns. The idea of a new multi-storey mental health unit as their next-door neighbour was concerning for many. Consultation through a series of evening engagements with local community groups allowed concerns to be voiced and specific issues identified and considered. The design team took on board a range of actions from these sessions, and shaped the building to stitch


in and become part of the neighbourhood. A key design move was ensuring that the building appeared residential in scale and character. Bay windows and sun- shading establish the familiar residential language while creating spaces for patients to occupy and enjoy from the inside. There are respectful landscaped setbacks providing buffers to neighbouring properties, with new street trees improving the outlook while delivering privacy and dignity for consumers and adjacent residential neighbours. Breaking down stigma was considered time and again through the engagement and design process. The goal was to create a place where people can enter with pride. The design creates a welcoming arrival experience that feels safe and dignified. The arrival journey from the street has clear wayfinding, with the journey past inviting landscaped pathways – there are no fences or barriers. The entrance is under the building, where rooflights, artwork, and generous lightwells with lush planting draw visitors inside. The building is adorned with an


integrated programme of curated artwork. Local artists were selected and commissioned, with their works inspired by common curatorial themes around Country, Renewal, and Connection. Key artworks are located along the external pathway, and also in the entry foyer. Another arrival sequence is for people


being admitted to the Mental Health Unit via the main hospital. Here the journey is through a new elevated link with one side fully glazed. The arrival experience is shaped by daylight, views to surrounding nature, and connections to Country, with the glazing doubling as a canvas for a major artwork by a local Indigenous artist.


Designed for healing The facility has been designed to create a calm, healing environment that nurtures mindfulness and wellbeing. The interiors are bright and comfortable, and outdoor courtyards and therapy spaces are integrated to provide access to sensory rooms, activity spaces, gymnasiums, kitchens, and music rooms. Internal planning allows each inpatient pod to be safely occupied by different patient cohorts, while allowing direct access to shared therapy and support spaces, maximising functional efficiency. The planning establishes four acute


treatment units, each with 14 beds and an eight-bed high dependency unit. The units are designed with a consistent layout to enable flexibility for patient groups. The pod sizes balance efficient staffing ratios and optimal sizing to deliver an effective care environment. The building services design supports


a range of technologies, including nurse call and mobile duress systems, active security systems, telehealth capability,


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THE NETWORK | NOVEMBER 2024 19


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