Project Spotlight: St Andrews Place Day Surgery

PDT Architects were approached by Formula Interiors, with the opportunity to work alongside UnitingCare Queensland to deliver the new St Andrew’s Place Day Surgery; a thoughtful, patient-focused facility. We sat down with Bridie, Project Architect and Team Lead, to hear more about the design approach and the collaborative process behind this transformative fit-out.

Q: Tell us a bit about the project: Where is it located, and what was the overall vision?

The Day Surgery spans Ground and Level 4 of 33 North Street in Spring Hill. It's part of an important expansion for St Andrew’s Hospital and was designed to meet the increasing demand for same-day procedures. At the time of project commencement, Ground Floor was vacant; this, coupled with the upcoming expiry of the Level 4 lease, meant that there was a desire from UnitingCare to deliver this in a timely manner to meet growing hospital and day surgery demands. From a technical point of view the project comprised a complex fit-out within a legacy building with aging infrastructure, three procedure room spaces and St Andrew’s first fully integrated Electric Medical Records system.

In terms of the driving concept and design, the vision was clear from the outset: to shift away from traditional hospital aesthetics and deliver a space that feels warm, calm, and welcoming. This was done to create a calming, but visually intriguing, day surgery experience for all; in particular to create a playful space for the many children who will use the facility.

Q: How did the team approach this brief?

The project started out with a small, focused team of Ian Downing (Special Health Architect), Annie Yang (Project Director), myself (Project Architect and Lead) and the Formula team. We were tasked with the challenge of accommodating UnitingCare’s briefing requirements into the existing spaces; whilst also establishing and facilitating key patient flows within the space. A challenge to accommodate when Day Surgery Spaces are spread across multiple levels.

Historically, the space had been used as a hydrotherapy space; and fun fact, the ground floor Recovery Bay 3 areas now sit right above the old pool. At the time of project commencement, the ground floor space was vacant but, had been used for office and consult spaces. A constraint of the existing space that we observed early on was an absence of sightlines within the space. Entry into the space involved entering a tight corridor space that was cut off in front of what is now the Post-Admission Waiting Area to the right of the entry. This meant that entry into the space was a rabbit warren of entry points in the existing condition. We quickly made the decision to remove what was previously a kitchenette, store and WC; opening sightlines to the existing glass blocks that characterised the building’s exterior walls. Sightlines, wayfinding and patient visibility, without compromising privacy, are vital in complex hospital spaces.

Other constraints of the space that the team observed was that the space was quite dark and uninviting and characterised by low ceiling heights due to the existing beams of the carpark and carpark ramp above. One of the key drivers of the preliminary plan form was to open the space, creating a generosity of thoroughfare spaces; to create an impression of openness and lightness and to create connections to existing glass blocks. Another decision that was made early in the project was to make connections to the existing building through materiality and, with that, the key ground floor material was established: glass blocks. A lot of the softness of the plan form that you see in the built outcome now was established in the early phases and remained predominately unchanged throughout the project lifecycle; a testament to the robust spatial planning undertaken by the team initially.  

Upon completion of concept design phase, the mobilisation of the remainder of the design team occurred and, at which point, Declan Robinson (Architectural Graduate) and Filisha Khatri (Interior Designer) came on board. Declan was key to the delivery and technical design of the project and, Filisha added a vital layer of refinement to the proposal, strengthening the concept in scale, materiality and form. Like all worthwhile and successful projects, St Andrew’s Place remained a collaborative effort across our architecture and interiors teams. The team worked closely with Formula Interiors and UnitingCare Queensland to develop a language of softness and warmth through materials, lighting, and spatial planning with a core focus on user experience for both staff and patients. On the ground floor, we designed distinct yet cohesive zones for adult and paediatric admissions; giving careful consideration to privacy and acoustics, whilst creating spaces that feel safe and intuitive to navigate.

Q: What were some of the key design elements?

The use of glass blocks was a key decision and one that was made early on in the project. Not only did the glass blocks reference the existing building fabric, they allowed us to draw light into areas that were previously dark and constrained. What’s more, the reflection of light off the glass blocks added a layer of playfulness to the space. We also incorporated sweeping, curved forms, particularly in the bulkheads. This was done, not only as a visual signature, but as a clever way to navigate complex services zones and large existing beams overhead. These gestures made wayfinding more intuitive and helped reduce the sense of clinical sterility typical of healthcare environments.

Q: Were there any specific technical or spatial challenges you had to overcome?

Absolutely. Like all operational, complex hospital spaces, there were a number of technical challenges to navigate. The ground floor sits beneath a carpark, and the floor-to-ceiling heights were incredibly tight due to existing beams. Coordinating services, especially mechanical, was tricky. But it pushed us to be resourceful, and in the end, these constraints became our creative catalyst, pushing us to be resourceful and ultimately shaping some of the project’s most distinctive features, like the curved bulkheads. Limited ceiling heights led us to embrace horizontal movement, soft lighting, and organic forms, all of which contribute to a sense of calm, comfort, and natural flow throughout the space.

Another key challenge to the project was the inclusion of a new Procedure Room space on level 4, in addition to two refurbished Procedure Room spaces; responding to hospital needs. Achieving compliance and meeting spatial requirements is always a challenge in an established, complex, aging hospital space.

Delivered in just 12 months from UnitingCare’s Business Case approval to practical completion, the project stands as a remarkable accomplishment for both the design and construction teams. Achieving this within the context of a complex live hospital environment was no small feat, and despite the challenges, the team takes pride in the effort and the quality of the final outcome.

The final challenge came at the hands of limited access to the site at times due to occupation by the previous tenant. As is the case with many operational projects, but is particularly important in a hospital scenario, access was guided by privacy and respect for the previous tenants and their patients. The hospital and previous L04 tenant were extremely accommodating to the team as we developed the design; with patient care remaining the upmost importance. As such, and understandably, there were some spaces we were unable to access during the design phase. In fact, the first time the team walked into the north-western corner of the level 4 floorplate was during the demolition phase. Which is always a challenge when trying to prepare for latent conditions. This meant the design team leant heavily on the expertise of the experienced ECI Contractor: Formula Interiors. We are tremendously proud of, not only the team’s design and built form outcomes, but the level of respect that was given to working within an operational site.

Q: How did the space evolve throughout the process?

While Level 4 started out as a light refresh, it quickly evolved to meet broader hospital needs. We added a new procedure room into what was previously an IVF Laboratory space and eventually undertook a light refresh of the existing procedure room spaces. Balancing broader hospital needs and expansion demands, alongside retaining existing services, where compliant, and upgrading existing services to meet current compliance standards remained a challenge throughout the project lifecycle. However, we were able to create spaces with efficient patient flows without disrupting existing operations. Despite these complexities, we were able to maintain the core concept from early spatial planning through to completion.

Q: How has the project been received so far?

The feedback has been really positive and we are pleased that the project has been so well received. Like any project there are always lessons to be learnt. However, the client was thrilled with how we translated their vision into a space that feels distinctly different from typical medical environments. For us, knowing the design supports patient wellbeing, especially for children, is incredibly rewarding.

Q: In your view, what makes this project a success?

It’s a combination of factors including:

• Delivering a high-functioning clinical space in under 12 months,

• Overcoming technical challenges in a legacy building,

• Introducing an intuitive, emotionally resonant experience for patients.

• It’s also the first site within St Andrew’s to integrate a fully electronic medical record system, so in many ways, it sets the tone for the hospital’s future.

“It was a pleasure to be part of a project that not only elevates clinical outcomes but also prioritizes the human experience"   – Bridie

A big thanks to the Project Team for their valuable contribution to this project!

Client: UnitingCare Queensland

ECI Contractor: Formula Interiors

Architecture & Interior Design: PDT Architects

Structural Engineer: MPN

Services Engineers: Interior Engineering

Fire Engineering: Omnii

Certifier: McKenzie Group

Project Manager: Trace Project Management

Surveying: Therefor Group

Q: Were there any lessons learnt?

A multitude of User Group Sessions were held during the Detailed Design phase, and we’re convinced they played a big part in the project’s success. That said, UnitingCare, PDT, and Formula Interiors all agree that next time, a few dedicated sessions focused solely on Procedure Rooms would be a smart move.

We are proud of what we were able to achieve within these spaces, with the time that we had and latent conditions at hand; there are always efficiencies that can be found in a technical, high care space such as these. 

Additionally, power outlets; whilst we documented a huge number of these there can never too many in a hospital space and that is definitely something we will take with us into our next health project. Less is definitely not more when it comes to power outlets.

You can find out more about this project on our website here