St John of God Bendigo

A new level of private health care for Bendigo. Tasked with a complete redevelopment of a dated and dysfunctional hospital campus, the prevailing collection of buildings were peeled back to bare bones, providing us with a near ‘black canvas’. A reimagined design took cues from premium hotels by placing greater focus on patient and guest comfort. We started with the patient journey, bringing clarity to the entry, reception, and admissions process. Furnishings were selected to evoke a feeling of warmth and home and enhanced connectivity to the outdoors brought in natural light via extensive glazing and highlight windows. An internal courtyard was also incorporated for active recovery, physiotherapy, and for relaxation. Extensive user group consultation and stakeholder engagement throughout the conceptualisation, design and development process ensured that the new hospital was met with a high level of staff buy-in and retention. We were also able to achieve more than the initial functional brief within the same budget delivering an additional theatre and the rebuild of the central sterilisation department. Photography by Rachael Dere