MELBOURNE, VIC – OCTOBER 2026 – Footscray Hospital becomes Australia’s first WELL Certified™ hospital
Footscray Hospital has become Australia’s first WELL Certified™ hospital, achieving WELL Core™ Gold Certification under the WELL Building Standard™ and joining a select group of only 15 hospitals globally to receive the recognition. The achievement marks a significant milestone for Australian healthcare infrastructure and demonstrates how wellbeing, sustainability and clinical excellence can be integrated into a single design strategy.
Delivered by the Plenary Health Consortium, led by Plenary Group, in partnership with Western Health and the Victorian Government, the hospital is one of Victoria’s largest health infrastructure investments, providing more than 500 inpatient beds and increasing access to healthcare for Melbourne’s growing western region. Designed by Billard Leece Partnership and COX Architecture, the project reflects a shared commitment to creating environments that support the health and wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors.
Conceived as a campus of interconnected buildings organised around a central Village Green, the hospital balances world-class healthcare infrastructure with welcoming public spaces that encourage connection, respite and community engagement. WELL principles are embedded throughout the project, including enhanced ventilation systems, rigorous air and water quality measures, dedicated staff respite spaces and more than 20,000 square metres of landscaped outdoor environments, terraces, green roofs and courtyards.
Connection to nature is a defining feature of the precinct. More than 320 trees and 59,000 plants have been integrated throughout the campus, alongside over 80 community-sourced artworks that strengthen connections to place, culture and community. Dedicated multi-faith spaces and a First Nations courtyard, developed in collaboration with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders, further support inclusivity and cultural safety.
The WELL certification complements the hospital’s broader sustainability achievements, including a 5 Star Green Star Design & As Built rating, rooftop solar infrastructure and integrated water-management initiatives that contribute to its long-term environmental performance. The achievement was formally recognised this week at a plaque presentation ceremony attended by project partners and stakeholders. For Billard Leece Partnership, the recognition reflects our ongoing commitment to Design for a Healthy World and demonstrates how evidence-based, human-centred design can create healthier, more connected and more resilient communities.
Project Overview
Project: Footscray Hospital
Clinical Opening: February 2026
Client: Plenary Health Consortium
Project type: Tertiary Hospital and Health Precinct
Size (GFA): 120,000 sqm
Location: Footscray, Victoria, Australia
Design Team
Architecture & Design team: Billard Leece Partnership (BLP) & COX Architecture
Landscape architect: Tract
Builder: Multiplex
Sustainability & WELL Consultant: Cundall
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
