The $516 million Thomas Embling Hospital Upgrade reached a substantial milestone this week with structural works complete, allowing internal fit-out works to commence.
GB-A designed the expansion, which will create an additional 82 secure mental health beds, includes a 48-bed medium security men’s facility and a 34-bed women’s precinct, as well as clinical administration facilities, a new entry complex and further car parking.
According to the Minister for Mental Health, Ingrid Stitt, “This massive expansion project will change the way forensic mental health services are delivered in Victoria – with greater capacity to get consumers the urgent treatment they need, in a safe and recovery-focused environment.”
Once open, the expansion will help to reduce wait times and ensure that Victorians that are most at risk can access mental health services in a secure and rehabilitative-focused environment.
Senior Project Architect, Alexandra Kennedy, said, “The GB-A team has considered the best practice outcomes for, biophilic design, therapy, and residential living in the context of a mental health facility and have sought to passively include features into the design that offer the best pathway to recovery.”
A key recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System was that co-design be at the heart of all new mental health infrastructure. The Thomas Embling Hospital design methodology established an inclusive co-design approach with Indigenous owners of the land and Victorians with lived experience informing the design.
The Minister for Health Infrastructure, Mary-Anne Thomas, stated, “We have put co-design at the heart of this expansion, with the first-hand experiences of Victorians, carers, and clinicians shaping the planning and design of the project.”
The project, which is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with Forensicare, John Holland, and GB-A, is due for completion in 2025.
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