Rosebud Day Hospital
DDLM Commercial Pty Ltd
2018
$5.83M
Rosebud, VIC
Project Details
1260sqm
2
Attributes
Overview
A showcase of adaptive construction methods deliver a new specialist health facility for Victoria's peninsula region.
Rosebud Day Hospital is a diagnostic centre that provides prevention, screening and diagnosis of common gastrointestinal issues and rare conditions that demand expert clinical diagnosis. Higgins delivered the two-storey clinic, which features a day procedure and endoscopy centre, complemented by an undercroft car park.
This design presents a careful balance with acute attention to materials, spatial dynamics, scale, light, and flow. Visitors are welcomed by a bold reception area, boasting bespoke timber-cladding and full-height glazing.
Each level was purpose-built for two separate tenants. Direct Endoscopy occupies the ground floor, with an endoscopy theatre, anaesthetist rooms, utility rooms, a seven-bed recovery bay, and shared doctors and consultation offices. The first floor features similar facilities, with consulting rooms, staff amenities, secondary recovery bay, and a day procedure operating theatre.
We approached the brief as a slab-on-ground construction with deep footings, blending glazed white stack bond face brick with custom precast panels. The first floor is encased in anodised aluminium cladding, cleverly designed with three different depth profiles to present a striking vertical slat appearance from the street view.
Adapting mid-build
We integrated a major scope change into our advanced program, converting a radiology clinic to an endoscopy unit.
Because of a change in tenants, our client opted to repurpose the entire ground floor. The original design called for X-ray and CT scanning facilities which, by this point, were well underway. We’d already sourced the imaging equipment, custom joinery was in production, and service coordination for delivery was complete. We also prepared the rooms to accommodate specialist equipment by installing lead-lined walls and priming the frames, doors, and windows for fitting hydraulic, electrical, fire, and mechanical services.
While our first-floor works proceeded uninterrupted, we transformed the ground floor into an endoscopy unit. This involved a complete redesign of all services, including integrating medical gases into the existing structure.
The key challenge lay in aligning the new requirements with the first-floor services already installed. To navigate the complexities and manage cost escalations, we led a collaborative resolution process with our client, architect, and consultant team. Drawing on our extensive experience in the healthcare sector, we presented multiple proposals, resulting in a well-considered design that balanced cost-effectiveness for our client while fulfilling the facility’s functional requirements.