The project team adopted a holistic approach to design the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. This 450-bed teaching hospital serves Australia’s Sunshine Coast, Gympie and surrounding regions. They placed equal emphasis on outside areas including visual and physical accessibility to the outdoors, and landscaped space to aid in the healing process.
The Sunshine Coast’s pristine environment was a major inspiration for the design of the project, says Martin Wilshire. Place Design Group, a design management firm in Birtinya (Australia), served as landscape architect and consultant on the project, working with builders Lendlease and architecture firms HDR and Architectus and engineering firm Aurecon. The landscape architecture plays a major role in the design of the hospital, as it provides many areas for quiet reflection and gathering. It is set among lush sub-tropical plants.
The hospital was opened by Queensland Premier, Minister for Health, and Minister for Ambulance Services in April 2017. It features multiple courtyards and rooftop gardens as well as rest areas. Each outdoor space was given a specific design goal based on its intended user and function.
Wilshire says, “This was part of the project. It was to create a holistic healing space in which patients and departments could access an external space that would facilitate the healing process.” Place Design Group used Revit for 3D modeling of spaces to integrate with architects, the facade design and to review by clients and user groups.
The central public courtyard is located at ground level, adjacent to the hospital’s internal street, near the main entrance. It was designed to provide a relaxing outdoor area for patients, hospital staff and visitors. The upper courtyards have been linked to certain departments such as paediatrics or maternity.
On Level 5, a rehabilitation mobility courtyard incorporates different walking surfaces such as decking, gravel or sand, steppers and synthetic grass. It also includes everyday elements like a clothesline, pool gate and steps, handrails and ramps. The mental health unit’s ground floor has four internal courtyards and three external ones.
The project also included the installation of public art by Lubi Thomas, Adrian Davis and their works “Kin” (titled “Kindred”) and “Kin”, located in the central courtyard. These artworks were positioned to take into account the sightlines of the cancer waiting room.
Wilshire says that the artworks reflected the ancient landscape, flora and cycles of time of the local community.
