RCH Neurosciences
With a major redevelopment of the Royal Children’s Hospital planned to be completed in 7~8 years, the brief was to work with existing services and walls as much as possible but produce new refurbished wards on the 6th and 8th floors that supported new family focused care.
Facilities include wards for Neurosciences and Cancer patients including a transplant suite, VEM, EEG and other purpose designed diagnostic units. The existing wards were overcrowded with a strong institutional feel unfriendly to kids, parents and staff. In the wards clinical equipment is hidden in cupboards, window seats have been added to provide places for visitors, including siblings, to sit and look out of the window during the day and a parent to sleep on overnight. Other areas include a parent resource room at the end of each ward with kitchenette and ensuite, and age specific play areas including areas for younger children and a chill out room with bean bags, play station and wide screen TV for teenagers.
The hospital’s existing window treatment limited potentially extraordinary views across surrounding parkland. Whilst carefully addressing the need to minimise glare, the new design incorporates solar treatment that allows an enhanced relationship with adjacent park and the city skyline.
