Wonthaggi Hospital
As the population grows rapidly in the Bass Coast Shire, so too does the need for a more capable healthcare system. Currently under construction, the Wonthaggi Hospital expansion will give members of the local community and visiting holiday makers in the South Gippsland region of Melbourne access to the same high standard of healthcare as metropolitan communities. Guided by campus masterplanning, the expansion knits new services into the existing hospital so growth is efficient and easy to operate day to day. The project prioritises patient journeys, accessibility and wayfinding, giving staff the capacity to treat 26,000 more emergency patients every year. For local communities, this means emergency services are easier to access, women are able to give birth closer to home and loved ones can visit patients more easily and frequently. The approach balances clear clinical flows with welcoming public edges so the emergency path is legible and calm under pressure. When a visit to Wonthaggi Hospital is necessary, whether it be a healthcare worker, a patient or visitor, people can expect a facility that delivers state-of-the-art healthcare in a calming environment that is easy to navigate. Natural finishes, landscape outlooks and daylight reinforce a therapeutic environment for patients and families.
Healthcare
Adam Pustola
Kylie Brown
Bass Coast Health
Department of Health
Victorian Health Building Authority
235 Graham Street Wonthaggi, VIC
Located on the traditional lands of the Bunurong people
10,900 m²
Complete, 2022
“We are a growing community with many families choosing the Bass Coast to call home… this project is ensuring Wonthaggi Hospital can meet that growing demand… a bigger, better Wonthaggi Hospital will deliver just that for our local community.”
Jordan Crugnale MP, Wonthaggi
Our design for the new Wonthaggi Hospital caters to the needs of future patients and staff, improving operational efficiencies and increasing convenience and amenity. The project includes new operating theatres plus a procedure room, a new emergency department with 18 additional treatment spaces, and a new 32-bed inpatient ward. The design for the 24 hour emergency department is a significant feature of the project, increasing patient capacity and improving workflows. Behind the scenes, on-stage/off-stage planning and back-of-house connections support efficient clinical operations across the day.
With a significant proportion of patients being holiday makers, our design pays close attention to clear wayfinding, particularly to the emergency department. Wayfinding layers colour, art and simple landmarks so first-time visitors can move intuitively to Emergency.
Staff, patient and visitors’ psychological and social health are prioritised in our design, with salutogenic principles used to create a welcoming, calming, and highly functional facility. The entry promotes a sense of spaciousness, with a natural light filled interior. A triple height atrium is filled with natural light from large north-west facing windows. Courtyards are designed throughout the facility to give multiple spaces for respite and access to fresh air. These salutogenic moves make clinical areas feel less institutional while remaining highly functional.
Level 1 has courtyards with exclusive access for staff, giving them private space for rest and social interactions. On level 3, an internal courtyard and lounge features three sides of glass, providing natural light and sightlines for improved wayfinding. Patient waiting lounge areas are integrated with circulation space to help reduce patient stress. Distributed lounges and glazed connections also strengthen teamwork and gentle patient oversight.
The hospital design draws from Wonthaggi’s regional history and culture. Elements of the design celebrate the history of the site with one of our primary goals being to design a facility that reflects the Bass Coast Shire. Consultations were undertaken with representatives of the Bunurong people to weave elements of traditional narratives into the design. Featured on the atrium wall is a mural painted by a member of Bunurong, both an acknowledgement of traditional owners and an aid for wayfinding. This co-design approach supports cultural safety and fosters community ownership of the place.
The local environment has informed a tonal native colour palette for the building. A banding of earthy tones in aluminium panels feature on the exterior of the top levels. A patterning of bricks on the facade references a map of the Bass Coast Region providing a human scale to the main entry. The native colour palette is brought into the exterior, with blues, beiges, greys and shades of green used to reflect Wonthaggi and evoke a sense of calm. Together these choices build a distinct identity that also aids intuitive wayfinding for first-time visitors.
“The design creates welcoming and therapeutic spaces – a large sheltered drop-off space, a light-filled atrium, and bedrooms with expansive views across the town and toward the coast. At the entry a brickwork mural identifies the townships that from the region. For a bustling hospital serving a growing community these spaces and ‘local touches’ provide relief and a ‘positive distraction’ during the busy life of the hospital.”
Adam Pustola, Principal of Lyons
Adam Pustola, Senior Principals, Practice Executive
View Adam's ProfileKylie Brown, Associates
View Kylie's Profile
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