A project which is claimed to be Victorian’s largest ever healthcare infrastructure investment has opened.

Last week, the $1.5 billion new Footscray Hospital opened its doors.

Claimed by the Victorian Government to be the largest single health infrastructure investment in the stats’s history, the new hospital will deliver a critical expansion of healthcare capacity in Melbourne’s fast-growing western suburbs.

It will reduce pressure on nearby hospitals by allowing up to 17,000 residents from the western suburbs to be treated closer to home rather than needing to go to inner-city hospitals.

The new hospital replaces the previous Footscray Hospital at Gordon Street in Footscray.

Compared with the previous facility, the new hospital will cater for an additional 35,000 patients each year.

This includes an extra 15,000 patients along with an additional 20,000 visitations.

(The 57-meter pedestrian footbridge over Ballarat Road provides a direct connection between the new hospital’s education and research centre and Victoria University’s Footscray Park Campus)

Features of the new hospital include:

  • More than 500 inpatient beds: including same-day, multi-day, critical care, sub-acute, drug and alcohol and mental health services. This represents an additional 200 beds compared with the previous hospital.
  • Acute facilitiesincluding an emergency department and mental health and alcohol and other drugs hub.
  • Specialist facilitiesincluding cardiovascular/angiographic, operating theatres, procedural and endoscopy spaces and associated recovery spaces
  • Clinical support spacesincluding spaces for medical imaging, pharmacy, central sterile services, outpatients, mortuary and pathology.
  • Car parkingto cater for patients, visitors, staff and other hospital users.
  • Teaching, training and research spaces.

(The central green space is the centre of the hospital precinct, offering patients, staff and community the opportunity to enjoy a large green space (image: Victorian Health Building Authority.)

From an architectural viewpoint, the design offers a supportive and inviting environment for all users.

Rather than a single monolithic structure, five buildings which are placed strategically across the site surround a central village green. The buildings include the 12-storey main inpatient building, a sub-acute building, a Victoria University education and research building, a commercial building on Tiernan Street and a multi-storey carpark on Federal Street.

Inspired by community feedback, the central green space becomes a focal point that invites the community in.

With pedestrian connections into and throughout the site, this space offers a central orientation and address point for all users.

The five buildings are scaled to suit the campus-sized precinct. They are massed to encourage sunlight penetration and to provide wind protection to outdoor amenity.

(Inside the main entrance,. Each of the hospital’s entries lead into the ‘Hospital Street’, a pedestrian route which wraps around the central green space and connects all areas of the hospital precinct. Image: Victorian Healthcare Building Authority.)

From a sustainability and wellness viewpoint, the hospital is targeting a 5 Start Green Star rating as well as a WELL Gold rating.

Sustainability and wellness initiatives include:

  • A design which enables full electrification in the future to support Victoria’s transition to net zero carbon.
  • Rainwater collection with a capacity to collect and reuse 80 percent of roof rainwater
  • A quality indoor environment with a high proportion of spaces enjoying good daylight access.
  • Connection to the outdoors with the green centre and a high proportion of inpatient rooms having a view of the exterior and landscaped environments.
  • An active travel strategy with connection to the outdoors.

(A light-filled inpatient room with views of the western suburbs and beyond (image: Victorian Health Building Authority.)

The new hospital was delivered by head contractor Multiplex.

It was designed by Cox Architecture in association with Billard Leece Partnership.

Other consultants included 4D Workshop (structural engineer), Stantec (building services engineer and lighting), TRACT (landscape architect) Honeywell & Compass (facilities managers) and ARUP (façade engineer).

(The tapestry inside the main entrance area: Welcome to Country – now you see me: seeing the invisible’. Image: Victorian Healthcare Building Authority.)

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan welcomed the opening.

“This is a new hospital for Footscray, and a new future for health care in the west,” she said.

 

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