Rebecca Moore: Designing with Heart

Welcome to SpeakingOut!, the INDE.Awards interview series spotlighting the people reshaping the Indo-Pacific built environment. In this episode, Jan Henderson sits down with Rebecca Moore, Principal and Sector Leader in Health and Science at Architectus. Supported by Milliken, category partner for The Health and Wellbeing Space at the 2025 INDE.Awards, the conversation dives into the design of health facilities that are not only high-performing but also deeply attuned to human needs.

With more than two decades of experience and a portfolio spanning award-winning facilities, Moore leads design direction for cutting-edge health and science spaces. She speaks candidly about the complexity and satisfaction of healthcare projects, highlighting the Victorian Heart Hospital – a collaboration between Architectus (formerly Conrad Gargett) and Wardle – as a standout achievement.

The project, Australia’s first dedicated cardiac hospital and the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, brought together clinicians, educators, and researchers from Monash Heart, Monash Health, and Monash University. “It was a tripartite client,” Moore explains, “and required a deeply collaborative approach.” Despite the complexity, she credits the team’s ability to stay human-focused: “We always make sure the patient’s comfort is front of mind.”

A Personal Journey

Moore’s passion for architecture started early. As a child, she built cubby houses in her backyard for her siblings – an early expression of the spatial creativity that would shape her career. Inspired by her mother, a draftsperson and entrepreneur, and supported by her father’s technical mindset, Moore pursued technical drawing from the age of 13 and never looked back. “I always knew I was going to go on to draw and envision buildings,” she says. “Never questioned it.”

Project Spotlight: Victorian Heart Hospital

The Victorian Heart Hospital is not only a technical marvel but also a blueprint for how design can enhance wellbeing. The building integrates research, education, and clinical care under one roof – a model that fosters both efficiency and connection. At its literal and figurative centre is an eight-storey landscaped courtyard, a space Moore calls the “gravitational heart” of the hospital. “It’s not just something beautiful to look at – it’s essential for both patients and staff to retreat, recharge, and connect with nature.”

Other key features include intuitive navigation, calming spaces, sustainable design, and high-performance building systems – all working together to support physical and emotional healing. “There’s always a balance between solving complex problems and maintaining a human-centred approach,” Moore reflects.

The hospital’s biophilic design and future-focused infrastructure have set a new benchmark in healthcare design across Australia and New Zealand. Moore notes that while COVID didn’t drastically alter their design, it affirmed their approach: “We found that we had already optimised infection control and touchless technologies. It was a reflection point – we realised we were already designing for resilience.”

A big thank you to Rebecca Moore for sharing her journey and expertise with us, and to Milliken for supporting this important conversation through their partnership with The Health and Wellbeing Space at the 2025 INDE.Awards.

To hear the full interview with Rebecca, check it out here. 

Entries to the 2025 INDE.Awards are now closed. Stay tuned for this year’s shortlist announcement on the 12th June 2025.