The Ballarat Community Health Primary Care Centre was funded jointly by the Commonwealth Government of Australia and Ballarat Community Health to increase access to quality, affordable healthcare to Ballarat and its broader district.
Jane Sayers, Associate at project architects DesignInc, thinks of healthcare projects holistically. She sees them as healing environments.
That’s why DesignInc considers it vital that other activities that humanise the space and connect people to community and nature are incorporated into a healthcare project’s design.
The whole-of-life design concept behind the Ballarat Community Health Primary Care Centre is based on the benefits of interaction with nature and community.
In addition to a full suite of on-site medical services and office facilities for over 100 staff, the Centre includes a gymnasium, café, conference facilities, and meeting and event spaces for community use.
All of these elements are designed around a central indoor garden atrium.
This main circulation spine is a light-bathed pathway through the Centre, two-storeys high. Its landscaping defines multi-purpose spaces that expand or shrink for different activities, and its dramatic ‘performance stair’ doubles as seating for community events and gatherings.
Architecturally, the compact building utilises natural ventilation and overhead translucent roofing for daylighting, and its saw-tooth roof relates to regional forms.
The DesignInc design team selected local materials including recycled timber and brick, metal cladding, and polycarbonate. These materials were used in a contemporary way to give the Centre texture and warmth and a unique local identity.
An indoor streetscape designed as a landscaped corridor includes interactive displays and visual access into clinical areas to move away from the closed-door approach, reinforcing messages of health and nature.
The sustainable design approach for the project was one that places people at the centre of the design. It is a design based on whole-of-life health – inspired by the benefits of contact with nature.
Passive and active strategies have been integrated to engage both on a mental and physical level with the underlying social message of health promotion and sustainable design.
The building has been designed to blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Internal gardens have been provided to maximise contact with nature and the environmental benefits that it brings.
A highly efficient and compact rectangular plan houses the two main levels.
Standard building construction techniques of stud frames and timber roof trusses, brickwork and high levels of insulation combine to ensure an affordable approach to creating people focused architecture.
The project includes the following sustainability initiatives:
Optimised Indoor Environment Quality. High daylight penetration; operable windows for natural ventilation and night purging; and a highly landscaped interior.
Energy Efficiency. High efficiency lighting; sensor lighting to utility zones; high efficiency double glazing; and louvre windows controlled through a roof mounted weather station to purge warm/cold air and integrated through the heating and cooling system to isolate areas when windows are open.
Water Efficiency. Rainwater harvesting, 80,000 litre water storage tanks and re-use for toilet flushing and irrigation.
Sustainable Transport Solutions. Cycling facilities for staff and building users including secure bike parking, and showers and lockers.
Renewable Energy Technologies. Solar hot water heating; and a 25kw photovoltaic solar energy system.
Waste Recycling. On-site building waste recycling; informative building waste recycling station within public zone; and an on-site organic matter composting system.
Sustainable Materials. No or low VOC materials (carpets, paints and adhesives) specified; use of local materials, recyclable materials and materials containing recycled content.
In addition to that raft of sustainability measures, DesignInc incorporated these innovations:
- The compact form of the building utilises overhead translucent roofing for daylighting and ventilation allowing the footprint and external walling to be minimised and ensuring occupants have good quality access to natural light and air.
- Circulation corridors double as landscaped gardens providing outlook to clinical suites, multi-purpose spaces can expand and contract to cater to different activities and a large stair doubles as seating for community performances and gatherings.
- Both passive and active strategies have been utilised to engage on a mental and physical level with the underlying message of health promotion and sustainable design.
- Opportunities for interactive displays, visual connection into activity based spaces and elements that encourage physical engagement have been employed to engage with both staff and clients.
DesignInc’s design of the Ballarat Community Health Primary Care Centre has helped it ensure that people from all walks of life can access quality health care, no matter their circumstances.
Project Details
Project size – 2,850 m2
Project Budget – $13,600,000
Completion date – 2014
Project Team
Architecture
DesignInc
DesignInc is an award-winning architectural and design practice with offices in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney in Australia. The DesignInc team for the Ballarat Community Health Primary Care Centre included:
• Stephen Webb – Project Director
• Ian Khoo – Associate
• Jane Sayers – Associate
• Michelle Harris – Architect
• Heidi Lee – Architect
• Emer Denneny – Senior Technician
• David Cox – Associate
• Wayne Clarkson
• Jean Claude Bertoni
• Andrew Varendorff
DesignInc’s multidisciplinary teams are united with a common vision to make a difference to the health and happiness of people’s lives through the quality of the environments they help create.
Landscape Architecture
Outlines Landscape Architecture
Outlines is a team of highly talented and dedicated professionals. They deliver engaging and creative solutions across the disciplines of landscape architecture, urban design, architecture, and product design. The practice works for an array of clients across different sectors – local and regional, big and small.
Structural and Civil Engineering
Bonacci
Founded in 1981, Bonacci Group is an employee-owned Engineering Design consultancy specialising in structural, civil and facade engineering.
Hydraulic, Electrical, Mechanical & Vertical Transport Engineering
LCI Consultants
LCI is an engineering consultancy practice based in Australia providing services to the global market.
LCI’s projects cover the entire spectrum of health, educational, commercial and residential construction.
They specialise in the following types of facilities:
• Hospitals and health care facilities
• Data and call centres
• Educational facilities
• Commercial buildings
• Hotel and resort properties
• Theatres and community centres
• Museums and landmark properties
Building Surveying
Gardner Group
Gardner Group is a multi-skilled Building Surveying and Consultancy company. It is a large pro-active professional practice, with qualified and experienced staff to facilitate a wide range of services.
Acoustic Engineering and AV
Marshall Day
Marshall Day is a united team of engineers, architects, musicians, designers, and scientists that have a common goal: to deliver exceptional acoustic designs.
Their experience, both at an international and local level, encompasses performing arts design, building acoustics, sound system design, planning and resource consents, environmental noise, industrial noise control, underwater acoustics and structural dynamics, and vibration analysis.
Photography
Dianna Snape
Dianna Snape is a well-established and respected photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. She specialises in interiors, landscape, and architectural photography.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2020 DesignInc. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2020 Dianna Snape. All Rights Reserved.
Get the Builtworks Letter
In every edition of the Builtworks Letter, you’ll get the behind-the-scenes backstory as to how buildings are designed, built, and brought to life.
You’ll hear compelling stories, learn surprising ideas, meet engaging characters, and discover unique voices.