A hospital project recently completed in Sydney represents a new benchmark in the design and delivery of contemporary tertiary healthcare, according to designers Rice Daubney.

The Liverpool Hospital Clinical Services Building 2 (CSB2) is defined by a double volume linear public concourse with a dramatic glass façade that extends the length of the northern elevation of the building and doubles as a tool for navigation around the hospital.

Rational circulation for users and a spacious light filled interior visually connect patients and visitors to parts of the hospital, making it easier to navigate and provides an important sense of space.

“Traditional hospitals are uninviting and daunting places, our design has literally made the hospital transparent, allowing people to find the department they need to access or visitors to find patients as quickly as possible,” said Ronald Hicks, Principal and Head of Health + Research at Rice Daubney.

“The design focuses on health rather than illness to aid the healing process, the large façade provides an abundance of light which makes the hospital brighter. Liverpool Hospital is now a place which is full of life for patients, visitors and staff,” he said.

NSW Health engaged Rice Daubney in 2006 to design the masterplan for the redevelopment of the existing Liverpool Hospital to adapt the site for easier access and deliver a complex tertiary hospital facility in one of the state’s busiest healthcare environments.

CSB2 provides the core of the masterplan with the concourse acting as the anchor for the entire campus which comprises almost 160,000 square metres, making it one of the largest hospital campuses in Australia.

The project responds to the fast growing nature of the Liverpool area.

“Obviously there is a great need for a new hospital in the area to cater to the rapidly growing population. The masterplan acknowledges the changing needs of Liverpool,” said Mr Hicks.

Rice Daubney designed a new entrance to the east, reorienting the hospital; a new vehicular access, aimed at easing pressure on the existing vehicle entrances; and a new over-rail bridge, providing staff direct access from the planned multi-deck staff carpark to the hospital.

Liverpool Hospital CSB2 provides 45,000 square metres of specialised clinical accommodation, a nuclear medicine department, expanded diagnostic imaging, ambulatory care facilities with flexible and specialised clinic spaces, an expanded interventional department with a total of 23 operating rooms, Interventional Cardiology department, in-patient facilities as well as two helipads. A 60 bed intensive care unit has also been incorporated, making the unit the largest in the State.

“The hospital has been created to provide the best possible healthcare. As architects we have focused our efforts on providing optimum clinical efficiencies while incorporating open spaces and a linear public concourse to make visits to the hospital less overwhelming,” said Mr Hicks.

Liverpool Hospital has been arranged in a rectilinear pattern with the circulation pattern of the hospital separating public, staff and patients to increase the hospital’s efficiency.

The hospital is characterised by the linear public concourse which is the defining area of the hospital. The concourse has been designed as a public space ensuring that clear way finding is evident as soon as a patient or visitor enters the hospital.

The concourse is a light-filled double volume interior providing visual connectivity to the clinic spaces on level one. The glazed wall is shaded by the larger white buildings that float over the concourse on the external off-form concrete columns. The concourse also features a central, open glazed staircase to the third level.

The hospital finishes are natural products including stone and light coloured timbers and create the muted neutral colour palette which is set off by the selected colour elements and the DNA inspired frit pattern found in the waiting areas.

“Hospital design must abide by certain rules, we have adhered to these rules but made the most of them with the abundance of light and clever pattern details, ensuring the hospital is a bright and calming place,” said Mr Hicks.

The design focuses on achieving maximum clinical efficiency within a patient centred design. The In Patient Units design maximises staff efficiency with decentralised staff bases. Patient rooms, whilst still utilising a level of shared accommodation maximise daylight penetration and amenity. Each room has a pleasant outlook and is light-filled to assist with the healing process and overall environment of a patient’s room.

The external architecture was designed in context with the broader urban planning, fitting with hospital requirements while bringing something new to the area. External louvres are implemented on the upper level windows to provide easily changing shading for the different orientations of the individual units in the hospital.

Bricks are red clay reinterpreted with detailing in the stack bond blade found at the entrance and an aluminium panelling system is used on external features. External colours are primarily white with contrasting grey panels with stair elements clad in a dark grey terra cotta panelling system.

Emphasis has been placed on creating a positive work environment for staff, with important considerations such as daylight penetration and outlook from staff and public zones.

The design embodies a departure from the focus on a singular hospital main entry point with the concourse providing a major entry at each end; the existing main entry to the west and the new ambulatory care entry to the east. Intersecting the concourse are two north/south circulation routes. One will link to the future Women and Children’s Building and Aged Care, the other will link to the Cancer Centre, Pathology and eventually to the new Research facility. These facilities form part of Milestone 3 and 4 of the masterplan which will also include preliminary planning for a possible large mental health inpatient facility and additional car parking provisions and an extension of the core medical facilities.

The project responds to the modest green building ambitions of the State Health Service. The concourse utilises an innovative displacement ventilation system with the lower level supplied through free standing vents and the upper floor fed through slab edge grilles. Facades have been designed to reflect the shading appropriate to the varying orientation of the building elements and all clinical spaces are provided with double glazing and integral sun control. The facades have significant acoustic treatment as a response to the exposure from the proximity to the high speed rail corridor.

As a first in the delivery of health projects in Australia, the project was developed as an integrated Building Information Model. The firm says this has significantly aided the delivery of the overall project, from early user consultation through to detailed project delivery and clash detection of building services installations.

Architecture & Design Team

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