Coffs Harbour Health & Education

The construction of the six million dollar new mental health rehabilitation unit was met with many challenges during the design and construction of the building. The proposed site was located on the main car park for the existing mental health unit, the only access road to the new Integrated Cancer Care building and floodway for the entire campus. This resulted in a detailed staging plan being agreed with all parties to eliminate any potential for disruption to existing clinical services. The implementation of this plan enabled the hospital to function without a single incident of lost time in an eighteen month construction programme. The construction of the covered link way between the existing hospital and the cancer care project, whilst maintaining twenty four hour access to the path for staff and clients, was an example of cooperative contracting working to its full potential.

The integration of the hospital engineering services was a lengthy, complicated and integral part of the contract. The overall success of the project hinged on the new buildings ability to integrate with the existing hospital and blend in with the surrounding buildings. The project was handed over with all integrated services fully witness tested, commissioned and training completed with area health clinical and physical resources staff to facilitate a seamless handover process. The building has a natural and complementary synergy with the surrounding buildings and excellent use of natural light in the main client shared areas creates within the building an impressive and comfortable ambiance.