Woods Bagot has designed a specialist medical hub in Playford, South Australia, providing comprehensive cancer care and diagnostics under one roof.

Stage two of the Playford hub includes radiation therapy and medical oncology, with onsite specialists and ancillary health services. The four-level facility includes consulting rooms and allied medical facilities, as well as radiotherapy, radiology, oncology, dialysis, GP consulting suites, staff amenities, and retail tenancies.

The site is the former home of the Elizabeth Vale Shopping Centre, located opposite Lyell McEwin Public Hospital. Completion of stage two marks the next step in the precinct evolution into a high-tech smart health hub, consolidating the area surrounding the hospital into an interconnected health precinct.

The facilities are intended to benefit the wider community with the addition of specialist medical services within close proximity to the public hospital. South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton said the new services will provide essential care for Playford’s expanding population, which is projected to increase by 37 percent by 2036.

Woods Bagot Director Thomas Masullo says the new facility draws on the existing infrastructure to deliver specialist medical care in addition to complement services at Lyell McEwin Hospital.

“The masterplanning strategy included consolidating the stage one retail and carpark complex with the new health facility, creating a highly integrated wellness hub,” says Masullo. “The project interfaces with the broader community with an activated ground plane and public boulevard with connections to Playford’s existing transport services, delivering world-class healthcare access to the residents of Playford.” 

There is mounting evidence for the benefits of place-based design in a healthcare context. This includes locating the design within its specific community, engaging with stories and cultural knowledge of place, and situating the building within its local ecosystem.

Project leader Adrian Reveruzzi says the Playford facility design references the site’s connection to natural landscape, helping to support health and wellbeing through biophilic connections. “Elizabeth Vale is rich with established eucalypts and unique biodiversity,” says Reveruzzi. “Our design concept draws from the native eucalypt grove opposite the site, from the façade inspired by the gumtree bark or the terracotta tones that reference the red earth.”

“The building’s highly flexible design uses adaptable floorplates to support diverse program delivery, enabling the facility to respond to the changing needs of the community,” adds Reveruzzi. “Employing an integrated service model, the facility is intended to reduce patients stress, time and costs associated with multiple appointments through the colocation of a suite of health services.” 

The new centre is Australia’s first 6-Star Green Star medical facility, featuring an all-electric building powered by 100 percent green energy. The Playford Medical Centre features 40 percent lower embodied carbon than comparable buildings, and has been designed with high energy and water efficiency credentials.

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Isla Sutherland
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