Thomas Embling Forensic Hospital
ARCHITECTURE
/
LANDSCAPE
/
INTERIORS
Thomas Embling Forensic Hospital
The existing Thomas Embling Forensic Mental Hospital is a 136-bed secure forensic mental health hospital operated by Forensicare, opened in 2000. Guymer Bailey Architects was engaged for the expansion of the hospital, including a new Entrance Complex, a dedicated 34-bed Women’s unit, and a medium secure 38-bed Men’s unit. The expansion is to meet the future needs of the hospital, and respond to the requirements of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
Co-design has occurred with the Wurundjeri Land Council as the representatives of the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Thomas Embling Hospital is located, and were engaged in consultation of the design and operational opportunities.
Consumer representatives were an integral part of the co-design process for the development, and included both current and past consumer inputs with representatives from a broad range of interest groups. Participation has been designed to ensure that people with lived experience of mental illness can provide insight into the design and operation of the new facilities with the aim of designing, delivering, and evaluating safe, high quality, efficient care services and systems.
Stage A works included the refurbishment and extension of an existing two-storey classroom block as well as the construction of a new covered walkway through the centre of the school.
PROCESS
Co-design has occurred with the Wurundjeri Land Council as the representatives of the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Thomas Embling Hospital is located, and were engaged in consultation of the design and operational opportunities.
METHODOLOGY
Consumer representatives were an integral part of the co-design process for the development, and included both current and past consumer inputs with representatives from a broad range of interest groups. Participation has been designed to ensure that people with lived experience of mental illness can provide insight into the design and operation of the new facilities with the aim of designing, delivering, and evaluating safe, high quality, efficient care services and systems.
TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND
The Woiworung People
COMPLETION
2024
LOCATION
Fairfield, Victoria
CLIENT
Victorian Health Building Authority
PROJECT CONTACT
PHOTOGRAPHY
Guymer Bailey Architects
VALUE OUTCOMES
“GB-A were an absolute pleasure to work with. The team on site and in the office never cut corners and were committed to delivering a very high quality project.”
Jim Spainard, Golburn Enterprise
Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy. Drawing on the knowledge from our Greenstar accredited team members and specialist consultants in environmentally sustainable design, we ensure our project teams integrate creativity with scientific rigour, to create designs that are conscientious of the natural environment and local ecology. Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy.
PRINCIPLES OF PASSION
During the design process, our project team not only considers the physical context of the designs but also examines the social and cultural context. Through every design, we look for ways to inspire positive attitudes, behaviours and emotional responses in people to encourage the responsible use of resources, increase cooperation among occupants, and communicate the values of society and cultural diversity.
Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy. Drawing on the knowledge from our Greenstar accredited team members and specialist consultants in environmentally sustainable design, we ensure our project teams integrate creativity with scientific rigour, to create designs that are conscientious of the natural environment and local ecology.
We design built environments from a holistic, sustainable perspective: each project reconciles ecological and social impacts within the current economic climate. We holistically evaluate environmental, cultural and financial sustainability in every task we undertake.