Designed by a trio consisting of Billard Leece, Bates Smart and HKS, the new RCH was built by Bovis Lend Lease. The hospital, which opened in late 2011, has an area of 1.3 million square feet and has been built on a greenfield park land site.
The hospital includes 272 inpatient beds, 81 outpatient beds, 30 emergency cubicles and a 15-room surgery suite. It is considered to be the country’s first five-star Green Star hospital and has been built to embrace several sustainable practices which results in water and energy conservation. The project was developed in a way that it had a minimal carbon dioxide footprint.
The design of the hospital is based on family-centered care. The patient rooms are design to give a feel of home and feature entertainment systems, access to lighting controls, and a place to put personal belongings.
Each floor of the hospital has retreat, gathering areas, and outdoor balconies. The hospital also has a Family Resource Centre to support the families with private cubicles, laundry areas, a lounge and kitchen, personal care suites, and an outside courtyard.
The hospital offers specialist pediatric services and provides a full range of clinical services, tertiary care, and health promotion and prevention programs for both children as well as adolescents in Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales as well as other states around Australia and overseas.
The International Academy for Design & Health is a non-profit organisation that was founded in 1997 by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The organization is dedicated to the stimulation and application of research concerning the interaction between design, health, science and culture.
