Glenorchy Care Centre: Hobart’s new integrated health centre

Projects 15 August 2019 Share

We’re proud to announce that Glenorchy Integrated Care Centre recently received an award in the Public Architecture category of the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2019 Tasmanian Architecture Awards. Designed in collaboration with Liminal Studio, DesignInc was invited to work on the project as the Health Planning Specialist.

This new integrated health centre combines services from existing facilities in other parts of Hobart and provides new models of care for persons currently receiving treatment at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Underlying the project’s design is a philosophy that values the care of patients and their loved ones as much as state-of-the-art technology and medicine. As a result, the centre’s architecture evokes a strong sense of place and the interior is bright, welcoming and easy to navigate.

Interestingly, the brick used on the building’s exterior is the first carbon-neutral glazed brick produced in Australia (via a collaboration with Austral Bricks Tasmania). It’s a nod to the area’s civic and residential structures and the custom colour also pays homage to the historically significant Child Health Association, which once occupied the site. Internally, the ground level’s colour scheme picks up on the brick cladding’s cream and orange flecks, while the first level features green and the second level, blue.

The incorporation of colours readily found in nature makes for a calming environment and in zoning the different levels in this way, acts as a wayfinding device. A timber stair and balustrade add warmth to the open interior and wall panels in a range of neutral tones lend visual interest without creating a distraction. This is the first stage in the development, with a proposed second stage scheduled in the near future.