VCCC | Builtworks

The comprehensive cancer centre (CCC) model, established by the US Government, has now been adopted in most developed countries.

The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) is Australia’s first comprehensive cancer centre providing a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to cancer research, education, and clinical care.

The fundamental premise for Victoria is that a comprehensive cancer centre of integrated organisations will gain far greater benefits in cancer more quickly than an individual organisation could achieve alone.

That insight, and this project, are important because cancer is the largest disease burden in Victoria and the largest single cause of death in the State.

Project Concept

The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) is a purpose-built building for cancer research, treatment, care and education. The VCCC is part of the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, located at 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, Australia.

It’s more than just a big hospital.

That’s because it also brings together ten world-leading Victorian-based cancer organisations to share knowledge and resources to drive the next generation of cancer research, education, treatment, and care.

The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre partnership comprises:

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Melbourne Health (including the Royal Melbourne Hospital)
University of Melbourne
Royal Women’s Hospital
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Royal Children’s Hospital
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (including St Vincent’s Institute)
Western Health
Austin Health (including the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and Austin Lifesciences)
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

Project Delivery

Delivered under a public-private partnership, the Victorian Government contracted the Plenary Health consortium – comprising Plenary Group, the Grocon PCL builder joint venture, and Honeywell – to design, build, finance, and maintain the project for 25 years.

The new design is symbolic and representative of the bringing together of the project partners, of the creation of new networks and clusters of collaboration.

Project Scope

The VCCC accommodates the multiple research, care, treatment and education facilities necessary in the CCC model. Completed in 2016, the award-winning Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre project included:

96 overnight inpatient beds
110 chemotherapy, medical and surgical same-day beds and chairs
six operating theatres and two procedure rooms
overnight accommodation for country patients, their families and carers
dedicated clinical trials unit with 24 places
a cyclotron for imaging procedures
eight radiation therapy bunkers with five linear accelerators in operation
25,000+ square metres of research space
education and training facilities
700 space basement car park
350 space bicycle facility with showers and change rooms for staff
50 space bicycle storage facility for visitors

The development also included a four-storey extension to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, which provided:

42 bed capacity critical care unit
new central sterilising services department
two new operating theatres, one fitted with an intra-operative MRI
new 32 bed haematology inpatient unit
refurbished medi-hotel beds
refurbished medical library and simulation/training facilities
new 32 bed unit for future fit-out to facilitate consolidation of existing RMH beds

The new facilities provided up to 25 per cent more clinical capacity for Peter MacCallum and Melbourne Health cancer services.

Project Timeline

May 2009 – Funding announced
November 2011 – Bidder announced
October 2013 – Excavation began
May 2015 – Façade complete
July 2016 – Opened

Here’s a time-lapse video showing construction of the project from start to finish. And another showing the extensive rooftop garden.

Project Awards

The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) took out two prestigious and significant prizes; the Victorian Medal and the William Wardell Award for Public Architecture.

Designed by DesignInc, McBride Charles Ryan, and Silver Thomas Hanley, the VCCC beat more than 200 entrants for the top honour; The Victorian Medal.

Not only is the Centre aesthetically stunning, but it has become a magnet for the world’s best cancer researchers.

“There is nothing like this in the world,” says VCCC Board Member, Dale Fisher. “The building itself helps attract and retain the best of international researchers.”

The jury was unanimous and glowing in their praise, “it is an exemplary building which will serve the Victorian community for decades to come.”

VCCC also celebrated success at The National Infrastructure Awards, The Government Design Awards and The National Architecture Awards.

Project Team

Architecture

DesignInc

DesignInc is an Australia-wide practice, dedicated to creating people-centric environments from the large scale to the small. Their award-winning portfolio includes hospitals and laboratories, sport centres, schools, workplaces, and multi-residential communities.

Their talent bench includes 170 architects, urban planners, interior designers, and landscape architects, across studios in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth.

The practice brings a holistic perspective to each client’s brief and site.

www.designinc.com.au

McBride Charles Ryan (MCR)

Led by Robert McBride and Debbie Ryan, MCR has successfully managed projects with budgets in excess of $1B, combining complex architectural form with the finest construction technique and the most demanding programs.

They have experience in many areas, having undertaken and realised work in all sectors.

This has been recognised by a variety of awards. In 2005, 2014, and 2017 they were awarded the highest Victorian award, the Victorian Architecture Medal. In 2009 they received the World Architecture Festival award for the ‘Best House’ Category.

www.mcbridecharlesryan.com.au

Silver Thomas Hanley (STH)

Silver Thomas Hanley is a recognised national and international architecture health care design practice. They specialise in Health and Sciences Architecture.

The practice commenced 40 years ago with founding directors Peter and Aija Thomas. Today STH has 100 specialist healthcare design staff and have completed over 2,000 healthcare projects. There are currently six directors that lead the practice and work collaboratively on each project with Associates and Project Architects.

Their portfolio includes Acute Tertiary Hospitals, Private Hospitals, Residential Aged Care, Teaching, Training and Research Facilities, and Institutional Work.

www.sth.com.au

Photography

Peter Bennetts

Peter’s work regularly features in the Australian publications Architecture Australia, Artichoke, Belle, Inside, AR, Monument, inside, and Vogue.

He is a frequent contributor to Wallpaper*, Frame, Mark, Dwell, Domus, Casabella, and other international publications too.

Peter’s photography has appeared in numerous books including four monographs and the two volumes of the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture.

Peter’s architectural images have been described as having “a remarkable crystalline stillness” and he is known for his “straight-shooting” style of architectural photography, focusing on the formal, material and atmospheric qualities of a project.

www.peterbennetts.com