Behind the design of the new Stage 2 building at Nepean Hospital 
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October 2024

BVN Architecture was appointed to design the Nepean Redevelopment which is being delivered in two stages. With construction underway on the new Stage 2 building, we spoke with Principal Architect, Julian Ashton about the key vision for the design. 

Julian said the vision for the new seven-storey Stage 2 building was to create a gateway for the community, completing the transformation of Nepean Hospital with a functional main entry. 

“It was really about creating a new main entry to become the heart, and central connection point for the campus," Julian said.

INH_Stage2_Camera_01.jpgWhile the opening of the 14-storey tower in 2022 was a huge feat for the project, Julian said Stage 2 is the "missing piece of the puzzle."

Stage 2 is part of the NSW Government’s more than $1 billion Nepean Hospital Redevelopment, delivering a major expansion and upgrade of hospital and community-based health services. Stage 2 will complete the hospital’s “Building A” by seamlessly connecting the new seven-storey building to the existing 14-storey hospital tower.  

When completed, the Stage 2 building will feature a new Intensive Care Unit, Medical Imaging, in-centre renal dialysis, more inpatient beds including a paediatric unit, and a new open and welcoming front of house and reception area. 

Designing a new building that is welcoming and open was key. 

Julian-Ashton-(1).jpg“There are large, landscaped courtyards to ensure it’s a welcoming experience and you are naturally drawn deeper into the building. It will be quite the transformation,” Julian said. 

The front of house area will expand across to two levels, providing a generous, open space that will feature expansively high glass windows, natural, warm interior colours and vibrant artworks. 

The Stage 1 building was intentionally designed to connect with a second future Stage. The 14-storey tower included several corridor connections, future lift shafts and entries.  The plain façade on the western edge of the tower was deliberate. 

“The reason why the plain façade is there is so it can be taken off ready for the interface with Stage 2,” Julian said. 

“Building a multi-storey building in an operational hospital is never going to be totally straightforward but we purposely designed Stage 1 to allow Stage 2 to happen fairly easily.” 

The Stage 2 building was designed in a ‘fan shape’ for several reasons. Aside from creating a welcoming and open front of house, the building’s design maximises natural light and ensures in-patient bedrooms in the two towers do not face each other. 

Julian said the ‘fan shape’ evolved during concept design particularly around discussions on staff wellbeing and amenities. 

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“In the original briefings there was a lot of focus on clinical spaces. As we went through the design, the importance of staff spaces close to treatment and clinical areas became apparent,” Julian said. 

The fan shape created a junction between the two buildings which will be used for several purposes including clinical support spaces for staff to come together. 

The Stage 2 building is also more sustainable than traditional hospitals. The design responds to a growing expectation for hospitals to be more sustainable in their power consumption, materials and equipment and operational practices. 

Julian said the fan shape maximises light and thermal protection, while the high-performance glass was used to minimise glare. 

“This building has more solar shading than most hospital projects to provide ample shade, taking into account the local climate which experiences extreme temperatures,” Julian said. 

The new Stage 2 building will also feature extensive green spaces. 

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The green spaces include a child friendly garden and a quiet courtyard for families and love-ones to rest and reflect. There is also a small amphitheatre for larger gatherings. 

Towards the interior of the building, there’s a large courtyard that sits between Stage 1 Building A and the second building with family spaces and some staff and meeting spaces.  

There are also plenty of internal green spaces including outdoor play courtyard in the new paediatrics unit, a dedicated Aboriginal courtyard on Level one, as well as two dedicated outdoor courtyards in the Intensive Care Unit.  

A new Palliative Care Unit which will be situated on the top floor (Level 7), will also benefit from the unique design of the Stage 2 building.  

“Each of those bedrooms in the Palliative Care Unit will have amazing outlook and access to a calming and secluded rooftop courtyard for families and patients, including a space for a yarning circle for Aboriginal patients and families,” Julian said. 

The Palliative Care Unit is part of the World-Class End of Life Care Program with $93 million allocated for new or redeveloped palliative care units at Nepean, Westmead, Tamworth, Orange and Wyong hospitals.  

Construction of the new Stage 2 building is scheduled for completion in early 2026 and follows an extensive planning and design phase which included input from hundreds of health staff and community members.


Fun facts of the new Stage 2 building:

  • It will need more than 17,000 cubic metres of concrete which is about 25 Olympic swimming pools.  

  • ​The height of the public atrium is over 11.5m which could host two giraffes on top of each other 

  • There is over a 1000m2 of art applied to walls equal to almost 4 tennis courts in area including a 70m long continuous Indigenous artwork as part the drop off canopy 

  • There are over 1100 doors in the project – lined up next to each other it would be over 1 km 

  • It has 762 Columns over 9 floors