Healthcare Design - August 2018 - 56

The project was submitted by HDR and Architectus Brisbane. Here, Ronald Hicks, principal and national director of health Australia
at HDR, shares his perspective on how some
of the jurors' favorite design elements were
achieved.

A B OV E :

AWA R D O F M E R I T

Good neighbor
Designers of Australia's Sunshine Coast University
Hospital took inspiration from the region to create a
450-bed hospital that won big in this year's Showcase
By Anne DiNardo

Recycled
hardwood battens are
used in key public areas, while aluminium
strips are used for
external environmental screens or security
fencing, or integrated
into the façade.
B E L OW: A network of
courtyards delivers
therapeutic vegetation
throughout
the hospital
campus.

AUGUST 2018

SUNSHINE COAST UNIVERSITY Hospital (SCUH) opened in September 2016
in Queensland, Australia. At 1.9 million quare feet, it's the country's largest
nonreplacement greenfield project to date. But it wasn't its size that wowed
our jurors; they lauded the project for its regionally appropriate design,
expansive outdoor gathering spaces, and connection to community.
Part of a 49-acre integrated health campus, which includes research and
training facilities, the building was designed to capture the qualities of the
region's culture, climate, views, and character while creating a patientcentered healing environment. The facility opened with 450 inpatient
beds, with plans to expand to 738 by 2021, and includes an emergency department; cancer center; and maternity, rehabilitation, mental health, renal, and interventional and diagnostic services.
Inspired by the area's modern architecture as well as its warm climate and intense sun, the exterior design includes lightweight cladding
and extensive external screens. A network of courtyards can be found
throughout the campus, bringing therapeutic vegetation into the heart of
the hospital as well as serving as wayfinding references for public circulation. One of the campus highlights is a semi-enclosed gathering space,
the "outdoor room," that's shared by the hospital and the neighboring
Sunshine Coast Health Institute. The outdoor setting is covered with
timber battens and fritted glass. Inside, the main circulation route runs
the length of the main courtyard and features a double-height space,
creating a Main Street setting that's lined with retail outlets, cafés, and
seating bays, further inviting the community to connect with the clinical
environment.

Healthcare Design: Jurors were impressed
by the regionally appropriate architecture and design solutions throughout this
project. What was your design process
like?
Ronald Hicks: We recognized from the outset that the overall design strategy needed
to reflect a focus on context. However, our
intent was to go beyond the mere use of appropriate visual language. For example, the
setting 's existing fabric, climate, and commanding views guided us to emphasize the
use of courtyards and large windows and to
then plan the major circulation routes along
glazed edges with a direct visual link to the
lush green spaces and the expansive blue of
the ocean. We also demonstrated our respect
and understanding of the local context and
architectural vernacular through the scale,
materiality, approach to detailing, simplicity,
and clarity of concept. These were such major
influences on our design that the dominant
courtyards and landscape shaped the plan
form and became an organizational force behind the structure of the clinical chassis.

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Healthcare Design - August 2018

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