Gold Coast University Hospital
Gold Coast University Hospital serves one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions. Increasingly, its focus is prevention, not just treatment.
DESIGN FOR A BETTER PATIENT EXPERIENCE
The design team — Hassell working with Powell Dods Thorpe and Silver Thomas Hanley, together known as GCUH Architecture — grounded the initial concept in evidence, drawing on studies of infection control and the health-giving benefits of natural light and access to green space. The hospital sits within parkland, offering patients a view beyond the wards. Inside, a seven-storey atrium runs through the building, drawing daylight down through every floor.
The results of the design speak for themselves. Since the hospital opened in 2013, the average patient stay has fallen from just over four days to under three. A shift toward single-occupancy rooms has also cut the number of times patients are moved between wards by more than 70 per cent in six months — and the hospital says it has not recorded a single case of sustained pathogen transmission since it opened its doors.
GCUH also includes a Mental Health Unit designed to challenge the institutional model — a domestic-style environment offering privacy, dignity and safety within a landscaped setting.
A WORKPLACE THAT ATTRACTS THE BEST
More than 5,000 people work at GCUH, which sits alongside Griffith University as part of a growing health and knowledge precinct. The building’s emphasis on daylight and outdoor space are design choices tied in research to lower staff fatigue and better concentration. Hospital administrators say the approach has translated into steadier staffing levels and lower turnover, a win for staff, patients and management alike.
“It was always our aim to create a hospital that set new global benchmarks for patient care and design.”
— Ian Langdon, Gold Coast Health Board Chair
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Gold Coast, Australia
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