The Children’s Hospital at Westmead – Wattle Building
The new Wattle Building at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead redefines the design and child’s experience of paediatric healthcare environments. Designed by Billard Leece Partnership (BLP) for Health Infrastructure and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, the project forms part of the NSW Government’s largest investment in paediatric health in 25 years, alongside the complementary redevelopment at Randwick.
The Westmead project positions healthcare design as clinical, civic and cultural infrastructure. Highly specialised acute services are integrated within an environment shaped by movement, play, family presence and connection to landscape. Central to the design is the concept of the “activated journey,” transforming circulation into intuitive, engaging and emotionally supportive pathways for children and families.
A key feature is KidsPark, a landscaped forecourt that recreates the hospital arrival experience. Rather than a singular institutional entry, the building is approached through an open, activated landscape that integrates play, retail and community uses. This creates a welcoming and easily accessed entrance to the broader Westmead Health and Education Precinct.
The design draws on the inland river landscape, expressed through the “Three Rivers” concept, which informs spatial sequencing, light, materiality and wayfinding. Internally, clinical performance is paired with emotional experience through family-centred planning, natural light, biophilic elements and layered interiors that support wellbeing and orientation.
A Connection with Country process with specialty consultants Yerrabingin further embeds relationships to water, culture and community, supported by First Nations artworks and gathering spaces.
The result is a contemporary tertiary hospital that supports clinical excellence while prioritising dignity, comfort and connection—presenting a new model for paediatric healthcare design in Australia.
Location – Westmead, NSW
Client – Health Infrastructure NSW + Sydney Children’s Hospital Network
Total Floor Area – 57, 000+ sqm Wattle Building (GFA) + 1004 multi-storey car park
Completion – 2026
