The new Woodhead designed $138 million Hedland Health Campus is now open for business at Calebatch Way, South Hedland. The project was completed in collaboration with Bateman Grundmann Architects and is set to become the ‘regional resource centre’ for the Pilbara Gascoyne Health Region, replacing the existing health campus in Port Hedland.
Meeting Australia’s most stringent cyclonic conditions, the architecture for the new campus is functional yet exciting. The design concept is essentially a collection of simple well-mannered sheds on a low podium, connected by largely glazed generous common area. Between the buildings are a series of publicly accessible courtyards.
The functional elements are encircled by a large rusted steel pergola, which wraps around the buildings completely covering the landscaped courtyards, between to shade the windows from direct sun, and facilitate the creation of a refreshing micro-climate. The pergola also provides a large canvas for the project’s public art program.
Being sensitive to the social context with high proportions of indigenous people, the design also achieves a level of civic importance.
Western Australian Health Minister Kim Hames said at the opening of the facility “I visited the new Hedland Health Campus just weeks ago and was immensely impressed with the new hospital. It is a fantastic facility for the people of the region and a big improvement on the old hospital which served well for many years,” Dr Hames said.
The new campus will replace Port Hedland Regional Hospital, which was erected as a temporary building following the devastation of Cyclone Joan in 1975.
The Minister said that staff and patients were excited about the move.
“They are thrilled to be moving into this modern campus that will bring most of Port Hedland’s major medical facilities together,” he said.
A number of facilities have already successfully opened to the public at the new Hedland Health Campus including:
- aged care services
- consultation facilities for Community Mental Health Drug and Alcohol
- medical imaging X-ray services
- pathology services
- allied health services such as child health, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology and home nursing
- Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS).
