Building the future of care: modernising the facility for safer, sustainable services.
In 2019, the Swan Hill District Hospital identified that the current hospital was ageing and unsuitable for its current use. The development of a new emergency department was required to provide safe and sustainable delivery of clinical services to the people of Swan Hill.
The project is still underway and aims to deliver a future-proofed new emergency department including:
- Treatment spaces, isolation room and behavioural assessment room
- 15 points of care plus a 4-bed short stay unit (SSU)
- Partial medical imaging
- New entry with reception, waiting area, café and administration
- Allowance for concrete roof slab and lift shafts for future vertical expansion.
The project will include a site-wide master plan and feasibility study to confirm the best approach to ensure the hospital is safely operating while the redevelopment is underway.
Civil works include new vehicular accesses, drop-offs and carpark, pedestrian paths and walkways, and some landscaped areas. In addition, stormwater drainage for the new building and external areas will be constructed. All of these factors involve some challenging constraints, especially for compliant tie-in of proposed works to existing levels and infrastructure.
A high-performance facade was developed with passive shading elements and a secondary facade out of corrugated perforated panels, wrapping around the building and shielding it from overheating, while at the same time giving a unique identity to the building and entrance.
