Three South East Qld satellite hospitals commence services

Three of seven satellite hospitals designed by Architectus Conrad Gargett (ACG) and Fulton Trotter have now opened, delivering public health care in rapidly growing communities across South East Queensland.

The satellite hospitals in Caboolture, Redlands and Ripley have commenced the provision of outpatient community-based health services across their regions.

The Queensland Government’s Satellite Hospitals Program seeks to ease the pressure on district hospital emergency departments by providing subsidiary clinics in major growth communities to treat common injuries and illnesses, along with specialist outpatient care.

The design team was tasked with the challenge of developing a single design solution for seven vastly different sites, communities, user groups and service offerings.

They landed on an H-shaped building layout with a central point of entry, landscaped central courtyards and open sightlines to support wayfinding and enable natural light to permeate the spaces, while warm colours and varied textures worked to create a welcoming and comfortable user experience, which ACG Associate Principal Christopher Hall-Jordan said is aimed at reducing anxiety.

“We developed a robust yet agile framework that would respond to varying site conditions, topographies and climates, while catering to the unique set of requirements of each service provider.

“We’ve sought to redefine the clinical hospital setting through the gaze of a personal experience, prioritising the users’ journey, a connection to the surrounding environment and community and the context in which each facility is sited,” Hall-Jordan said.

The satellite hospitals program includes a further four facilities located in Bribie Island, Eight Mile Plains, Kallangur and Tugun that are set to open later in 2023 and in 2024.

Image caption: Ripley Satellite Hospital. Image credit: Chris Wardle.