A mindful response to place for cancer treatment centre

Written by

10 June 2024

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4 min read

The new Australian Bragg Centre is a revolutionary medical treatment and research facility located in Adelaide's health and biomedical precinct. The centre, designed by renowned architects, Woods Bagot, was an empathetic approach to address the emotional and physical stress experienced by cancer treatment patients.

The Bragg Centre.

Located in Adelaide’s CBD, the Bragg Centre is a new facility providing Australia’s first Proton Therapy treatment unit.

Proton Therapy is a non-invasive targeted radiotherapy treatment for inoperable tumours. The new 15-level, 32,000-square-metre building is split into three underground treatment levels and above-ground patient levels.

The revolutionary Proton Therapy treatment is particularly suitable for children and adolescents as it targets the tumour directly, thereby minimising radiation damage to the surrounding body cells.

The new 15-level, 32,000-square-metre building is split into three underground treatment levels and above-ground patient levels. Renowned architect firm, Woods Bagot recognised that younger patients have elevated needs for calm, comfort, and security. Their response was to ensure the above-ground patient levels incorporated an abundance of natural light, biophilic curves, and warm timber materials to create spaces that feel restful and private and areas where patients, carers, and Bragg Centre staff can converge organically.

“The Bragg Centre has a crystalline-style façade that compliments the adjacent textured diagrid of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Centre (SAHMRI). Like SAHMRI, the Bragg Centre also targets a LEED rating,” Thomas Masullo, Woods Bagot Principal and project lead.

To achieve a LEED Gold rating, a project must meet design and materiality standards that achieve exemplary energy efficiency and indoor environment quality – including reducing airborne pollutants such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

Masullo said the challenge was to encourage energy efficiency in dry laboratories and clinical trial zones through a whole-building approach that enables occupants to improve the facility's efficiency.

“This was achievable by the passive design of the floor plates with a central core that responded to the internal programme,” says Masullo.

The Bragg Centre is a new facility providing Australia’s first Proton Therapy treatment unit.

An abundance of natural light, biophilic curves and warm timber materials.

Verosol blinds play a crucial role in the project.

The design aims to enhance occupant comfort, well-being, and productivity. This is achieved through features such as the facade, which includes glazing performance and shading solutions. These are designed to improve daylight, reduce heat gain and solar glare, and maintain a visual connection to the external environment.

“The SAHMRI atrium spans four levels located along the northern façade, overlooking the River Torrens and Adelaide Oval. This space was heavily considered during the design process to ensure that the internal environment was a comfortable experience with an informal workspace for the SAHMRI staff,” says Masullo.

Verosol blinds play a crucial role in the project, providing the appropriate balance between outlook, light, comfort, safety and privacy. Tom Reid, Managing Director at Specialty Curtains and Blinds, explains that 944 motorised Verosol blinds were installed, comprising 16 Veromax roller blinds and 928 Ambience roller blinds encompassing both single and multi-link systems.

“For the void area, a heavy-duty blind system was needed that could operate effectively with an 8-metre drop,” says Reid. “Levels three to 14 saw the installation of Verosol Ambience motorised wire-guided roller blinds using Verosol’s 103 SilverScreen Earth semi-transparent metallised fabric in white.”

Motorised for ease and in conjunction with the perforated sun shading fins on the façade exterior, Verosol’s semi-transparent SilverScreen blinds dramatically reduced solar heat and interior glare within the building while still providing an abundance of natural light and outlook inside every room.

“The blinds, with their woven screen-like construction and textile-like appearance, provide excellent vision out and dramatically reduce heat and glare at the windows,” says Reid.

Verosol’s 103 SilverScreen Earth metallised fabric delivers 62 per cent solar reflectance to reduce the heat of the harsh Australian sun, while the fire-retardant properties and the PVC-free materiality address the need for a safe and healthy indoor environment.

Masullo notes that providing a “healthy composition” option for the blind materiality was critical due to the building's clinical nature and its location within Adelaide’s BioMedical Precinct.

For the level four Clinical Trials Consulting rooms, where patient privacy is essential, motorised Ambience roller blinds with 737 Veropaque G3 blockout fabric were installed. This range was selected to support a sense of security and calm during stressful patient times.

The blinds, with their woven screen-like construction and textile-like appearance, provide excellent vision out and dramatically reduce heat and glare at the windows.

For the void area, a heavy-duty blind system was needed that could operate effectively with an 8-metre drop.

Masullo remarks on the alignment between the correct use of blinds, which provide occupants with the means to adjust their environment, and how advanced healthcare relates to patients. "There are certain similarities in terms of dynamic responsiveness to various conditions and physical engagement,” says Masullo.

“Similar to how blinds adjust to variations in light, temperature, and the requirements of the occupants, healthcare also tailors its approach based on the unique needs of patients, their health conditions and the surrounding environment

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