Architect eyes Busselton Hospital upgrade

The architect behind the $120.4 million Busselton Health Campus says the hospital has been designed to maximise the unique features of the natural environment.

Jeff Menkens, lead architect for the hospital's HASSELL design team, said vibrant colours and eye-catching materials would be used both internally and externally.

"Functionality and design must go hand in hand," he said.

"The site for the 84-bed Busselton Health Campus is truly one of a kind and we wanted to make sure that both internal and external planning capitalised on this unique asset.

"At the heart of the campus is the double-height entry, which is pivotal to the navigational flow. Landscaped courtyards link the east and west primary circulation corridors that provide simple and direct connections to key hospital services."

Mr Menkens said the landscape and planning architects had held extensive consultations with health service staff and the community to develop a state-of-the-art design reflecting the environment.

"We have worked hard to provide a warm and inviting environment balancing the use of artificial and natural light," he said.

"Generous windows are used throughout, including panoramic features in all patient bedrooms.

"The calming interior design includes materials and colours that have been matched to the external landscape using soft whites, blues, greens and greys to signify the beach, sea and peppermint trees."

Mr Menkens said patients and staff could access the landscaped areas and the hospice's external deck would enable patients, on beds if required, to spend time outside.

"Hospitals differ significantly from other building projects and this was no exception, with a number of issues which needed to be considered," he said.

"Health facilities attract a lot of attention and scrutiny, and involve a massive level of collaboration to ensure the design is affordable, sustainable and with the flexibility to adapt to change over a 30 to 50-year life cycle."