In recognition of International Women’s Day (IWD) in March, we took the opportunity to reflect on the unique contribution women make to the construction industry by putting the spotlight on the women working on the new hospital site. We spoke to Elise about her career and advice to other women considering roles in construction.

What is your role on the project?

‘My role is to help coordinate the design process for the prototype rooms being built for the new hospital. This will include finalising the design, tendering for subcontracting trades, supervising construction, and the review/approvals process with Western Health and other project partners.’

What are the prototypes?

‘The prototypes are a built replicas of hospital rooms to assess how the different spaces function, look and feel. There will be 15 rooms in total, including an operating theatre and intensive care unit bay. The prototypes will be in place for three years and are being built in a warehouse in Sunshine.’

How did you start working in construction?

‘I studied architecture and after working as an architect for a year, I realised that I wanted to be out on site more, so I went back to uni and completed my Masters in Construction Management. It was there that we had a guest lecturer from Multiplex and that’s how I found out about their grad program.

‘After working on a couple of key Multiplex projects for the last four years, I was excited to then take on a role on the New Footscray Hospital Project.’

What do you think is the best thing about working in the construction industry?

‘I like the variety of work each day. Although my current role is focused on the design phase, I’ll then get the opportunity to move into construction and supervision. I enjoy that my role evolves with the project.’

Is there a specific project milestone that you’re looking forward to?

‘Yes, it will be a big milestone to get the prototypes approved and signed off. It will be satisfying to see all our hard work pay off and see the rooms come to life.’

How important are these prototypes in the design of the hospital?

‘They are important for the whole project because it sets the standard for all the hospital rooms on site, the construction details, and finishes. It’s a dry run that helps us get the design and construction right.’

What is your advice for other women starting out in the industry?

‘When I started out, I felt nervous as a young woman in a mostly male environment, and I felt that the women I worked with were all so experienced and knowledgeable, which was intimidating at first.

‘My advice is to try and overcome any trepidation, ask lots of questions and don’t hold back, because as soon as I did, I realised that people in this industry are genuinely willing to help and teach you and that’s when you learn the most.’

More than 100 Western Health clinicians have been given the opportunity to provide their input into the ongoing design process for the clinical rooms in the new Footscray Hospital.

Ten clinical room mock-ups were built at the end of last year, allowing clinicians to assess the spaces, including placement of equipment.

The rooms included an inpatient bedroom and ensuite, mental health inpatient bedroom and ensuite, intensive care bay, anesthetic induction room, theatre, hand wash bay, and emergency department bays (acute and recovery).

The process generated more than 600 pieces of feedback which is informing the next step in the design process, including development of the prototype rooms, which will be built in nearby warehouses later this year.

The visits were conducted under a strict COVID-safe plan and staff were also able to view 3D renders of the rooms and provide their feedback online.

The award-winning new Footscray Hospital virtual engagement room closed on 31 May 2022. The accessible version of the virtual engagement room continues to be available on our website.

The new hospital is taking shape and you can visit the room to check out construction progress onsite and see what’s coming up in our ‘meet the builder’ area.

You can also discover lots of information about the design and construction of the $1.5 billion new hospital, with the opportunity to take a 3D tour of the site, learn about how the community has shaped the design of the hospital and access fun kids’ activities in the community corner.

Have you heard about our time capsule?

We also want to hear your ideas on what should be included in a time capsule that will be placed on the site of the new Footscray Hospital. Visit the time capsule area in the room to submit your stories, ideas and photos about the ‘People’s Hospital’ and life in the West – and if you were born in Footscray Hospital, we’d love to see your baby photos!

You can also check out the ideas that have been submitted so far and give them a ‘like’ to show your support.

During the 1919 influenza pandemic, 34 years before the existing Footscray Hospital was built, Footscray residents established a makeshift hospital in a local technical school to treat victims of the epidemic, with 574 patients admitted over several months.

After decades of campaigning by locals for better healthcare in Footscray, the Footscray Outpatients and Welfare Centre was opened in 1938.

The current hospital opened in 1953. Originally named the Footscray and District Hospital, it treated more than 5000 patients in its first year. Footscray was the first large acute care general hospital to be established outside Melbourne’s city centre and inner suburbs.

The Victorian Government is investing $541.6 million for the redevelopment and expansion of the Ballarat Base Hospital.

The redevelopment will deliver a new central energy plant, a multi-level tower with a new emergency department, a women and children’s hub, state-of-the-art theatre suite and an extra 100 inpatient and short stay beds.

A new and expanded critical care floor will bring together operating theatres, procedure rooms, an expanded intensive care unit, endoscopy suites and consulting rooms – delivering capacity for an additional 4,000 surgeries every year.

Once completed, the upgraded hospital will have the capacity to treat at least 18,000 more emergency patients and an extra 14,500 inpatients per year.

The redevelopment will be completed over multiple stages. Construction of the final stage is expected to be completed in 2027.

The Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA), together with Grampians Health, is committed to providing the local community, including patients, visitors, staff and volunteers at the Ballarat Base Hospital, with meaningful opportunities to provide input into this significant redevelopment.

Since December 2020, the project has sought community feedback – via surveys and workshops – to help inform the design of the redevelopment. The purpose of this report is to:

• provide an overview of the consultation undertaken with the community
• provide a summary of what we’ve heard and how community ideas and priorities are being incorporated into the design planning for the redevelopment.

The community’s ideas, vision and priorities outlined in this report has been provided to the project architect, with the opportunity for these to be reflected in the final design of the hospital. Final designs are expected to be released in 2022.

Through understanding the views and aspirations of the local community, we will build a hospital for Ballarat and the surrounding areas that reflects the community it serves.

The consultation process has sought and considered feedback on a range of topics relating to the redevelopment, including the prioritisation of healthcare services, wayfinding and the vision for indoor and outdoor family spaces.

The input captured in this report has been shared with the project architect with the opportunity for feedback to be reflected in the final design of the redevelopment.

A Ballarat Base Hospital redevelopment Community Consultative Committee (CCC) was established in March 2021.

The committee was led by former Premier and Ballarat local Steve Bracks, alongside Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison and Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle, and met five times
in 2021.

The committee participated in a series of workshops led by the project architects and provided
considered advice on a range of areas and issues including:

• the patient and family experience
• the vision for indoor; and outdoor family spaces
• wayfinding and the patient journey.

In response to COVID-19 restrictions on in-person community information sessions, the VHBA utilised online consultation methods to provide opportunities for members of the wider public to contribute.

This engagement included activity to:

• inform the community on project milestones and opportunities to contribute through social media campaigns, print advertising and website and media updates
• consult with the wider community through online surveys
• collaborate with the community consultative committee, established to provide a voice for the community and provide considered advice on a range of issues relating to the redevelopment.

Healthcare services and community benefits survey

The VHBA led a community survey on Engage Victoria from 3 December to 23 December 2020, to gain a better understanding of the community’s priorities on healthcare services and additional community benefits at the Ballarat Base Hospital. The community was also asked to share their aspirations for the redevelopment. The VHBA received 285 completed surveys.

Family spaces survey

The VHBA also led a second community survey on Engage Victoria from 27 September to 25 October 2021 to capture ideas and priorities to help shape the key family spaces in the redeveloped hospital - from waiting rooms to gardens. The VHBA received 473 completed surveys.

The community consultative committee met five times in 2021, including two design workshops to generate and prioritise ideas for the project. During these sessions, more than 200 pieces of feedback were gathered to inform the design of the Ballarat Base Hospital redevelopment.

The first design workshop, led by project architect Lyons, focused on wayfinding and the patient journey through the Ballarat Base Hospital. During this workshop, the committee shared their challenges navigating the current hospital and ideas to improve the patient journey.

The second design workshop, also led by Lyons, generated ideas and priorities to help shape the key indoor and outdoor family spaces in the new redeveloped hospital including gardens, main entry and foyer and waiting rooms.

The following healthcare services were considered
the highest priority:

• emergency treatment (emergency department)
• access to specialist doctors
• medical imaging and other specialist services
• access to elective surgery
• palliative care services (symptom management and care for people with incurable illnesses)
• children’s health services (paediatrics)
• access to general practitioners
• maternal health.

The following additional community benefits were considered most important:

• car parking
• comfortable waiting areas
• clear wayfinding and signage
• gardens.

'This project represents our ongoing commitment to evolve the architecture for patient and staff wellbeing and deliver a hospital that captures the unique elements of Ballarat and the surrounding communities.

To do this, we have adopted a salutogenic design approach to all aspects of the new hospital. The redevelopment will feature calming interiors and connections to the outside, ensuring the building is a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment for everyone.

We know how important the Ballarat landscape is to the community and we have tailored a design to incorporate these natural elements, drawing on Lake Wendouree and the indigenous flora, fauna and geology for inspiration. From the colour palette, to the materials used, this redevelopment will have a uniquely-Ballarat look and feel.'

Project architect, Lyons

• we need more car parking with easy access to the hospital
• we need improved access to the hospital with clear outdoor signage to the front entrance
• we need improved access between buildings
• consider positioning signage at eye level when inside the building
• signage is inconsistent and difficult to follow
• we need clarity on what lift to take
• we need maps, apps and/or someone directing traffic.

'We heard loud and clear about the current challenges navigating your way in and around the Ballarat Base Hospital and much of our work has focused on addressing this issue. By unlocking the site and improving access and wayfinding, we’re confident the redevelopment will deliver a huge improvement in this area.'

Project architect, Lyons

Some of the features being incorporated into the design of the redevelopment to address
wayfinding and the patient journey are:

• significantly more short term and drop-off parking than what is currently available at the hospital
• significantly improved access and drop-off areas
• separating traffic, such as ambulance and logistics, and creating a single public hospital entrance on Sturt Street
• the hospital will be zoned, and signage will be consistent and repeated across the campus to improve wayfinding and navigation
• improved access to lifts by linking directional signage with the lift system e.g., following the red path, take the red lifts
• faster lifts with separate public and staff functions
• signs will be positioned at eye level and will feature clear and simple pictograms in a legible font
• exploring additional technology options to support wayfinding.

When asked to consider what features and services you would like to see and have available when arriving at the Ballarat Base Hospital, you said:

• clear signage
• interactive maps
• greenery and plants
• reception staff
• user-friendly entrance doors
• comfortable seating.

When spending time in a waiting area or family lounge, you ranked the following features and services in order of importance:

• having more personal space access to food and drinks
• having a space where your extended family can come together
• comfortable seating
• a culturally safe space for indigenous community
• members and their families
• calming music
• estimated waiting times.

When asked what features in an outdoor space were most important to you, we heard these responses:

• seating and benches
• native trees and plants
• private and separate outdoor spaces for visitors/family/patients and staff shaded areas
• shelter
• a kitchen garden.

'We understand the importance of these areas to the experience of being in, visiting or working in the Ballarat Base Hospital. It’s important we get these areas right and we’re thankful for the ideas put forward by the community. Your input is helping us shape the final design which will significantly improve how patients, visitors and staff experience the hospital.'

Project architect, Lyons

Some of the features being incorporated into the design of the redevelopment to address indoor and outdoor spaces are:

• more space to allow Grampians Health staff to function more efficiently and reduce stress
• separate waiting areas and quiet spaces for staff, patients and visitors
• access to healthy food options and drinks including beverage bays in spaces such as adjacent to the Special Care Nursery
• shared public areas that will be large enough to accommodate multiple groups within the space
• salutogenic design that focuses on factors that support health and wellbeing such as natural light and green environments
• a courtyard and roof top garden with several access points
• shaded areas and a variety of seating options
• separate and private outdoor spaces for visitors, patients and staff.