Colour and porosity play into a new medical research facility in Thursday Island, designed by Wilson Architects.
Situated in the tropics of Thursday Island, the newly completed Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM) by Wilson Architects, in association with Clarke & Prince Architects, is a colourful insertion into the landscape.
The new building, “takes advantage of the topography to accentuate views over the water and capture prevailing breezes,” says Michael Hartwich, Project Architect at Wilson Architects. Being a tropical location with its own cultural context, the architects used various mechanisms to integrate the project into its site and surrounds.
“Covered outdoor spaces were integral to make the most of the climate. Outdoor areas also frame views while mitigating the glare from the intensity of the tropical sky,” says Hartwich.
Something that dramatically stands out in the project is the eclectic use of colour, which Hartwich explains, “vibrant colour was integrated, picking up how colour is used in much of the indigenous arts and crafts from the area.”
As a medical facility, there were many considerations that needed to be taken into account. The building is an outpost for the Torres Strait region, “as such it offers a base point for researchers visiting the Torres Strait. Researchers are able to stay and perform basic laboratory tasks in preparation for returning to the mainland. The facility, therefore, must cater for short-term accommodation and as a base for local staff,” says Hartwich.
In addition to being a medical research facility, it was important that the building “interface with the local community, particularly around research into the health issues within the community,” adds Hartwich.
This community engagement is integral to the project, with a mix of both open and discreet spaces. The public facing zones are designed to be welcoming, while the research facilities offer privacy, housed deeper within the facility.
Although not officially open yet, it will be interesting to see how locals receive this new building.
If you want to see more stellar healthcare design, take a look at these five ground-breaking Australian hospital designs.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The American Hardwood Export Council promotes the works of next-gen designers through Discovered Singapore exhibition happening from 16 to 22 May at Red Dot Design Museum Singapore.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
Alice Blackwood visits Rivière by Aria Property and Bates Smart, pausing for an overnight stay, to explore the sustainability principles and design innovations underpinning Rivière’s unique lifestyle proposition.
Rezen Studio utilises a soft, warm and balanced material palette in New Me, an unconventional medical centre in Booragoon, Perth.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Melbourne’s epic Design Week is almost upon us. I put it out to my friends and colleagues, asking what they can’t wait to see, and have collated a top 12 program highlights list for you here.
Alona Klaro, founder of Klaro Industrial Design (KID), has set her sights on shaking up the specification game. As a product designer with expertise in office furniture, Klaro is looking to bring the “slow fashion” approach to fit outs and interiors, paving a way for commercial designers to address the evolving needs of modern workplaces […]