ACH , ACH Healthia

Aesthetic Improvements to Outdoor Areas

Each of the 96 private bedrooms are provided with individual access to courtyards and landscaped gardens for the enjoyment of residents, staff and visitors.

Traditionally, to manage waterproofing requirements, pavements are set lower that the floor level, requiring ramps for safe access to the external areas.

Sarah’s team worked with the consultant structural engineers to develop a modified waterproofing system, allowing the pavements to be flush with the buildings.

This innovative design solution more closely resembles a home-like environment and is expected to have multiple applications on future projects.

Prefabricated Structural Elements

The project’s reference design included wooden frames built on-site, which proved challenging due to the shortage of materials post-pandemic.  

Sarah’s team modified the design to include prefabricated trusses and frames, built off-site in readily available lightweight steel, preventing delays to the project’s program.   

Canopy Construction

The original design featured structural steel canopies, giving the outdoor areas a heavy, commercial aesthetic.  

Sarah suggested redesigning the canopies with alternative materials more suited to a residential building, to tie in with the architectural intent and the small household environment.  

Ongoing Value Management process, to help manage costs

Throughout the project lifecycle, Sarah led multiple value management workshops, continually evaluating the design and construction methodologies for cost efficiencies and program improvements.

In one example, Sarah ‘s team identified opportunities to replace the vinyl bathrooms traditional in health care settings with tiles.

This modification resulted in a cost saving of $100,000, and importantly, contributed to the home-like environment.

Overall, more than $650,000 worth of improvements were identified, validated and realised.

Staging and Sequencing

To manage the challenges of working within a constrained site, Sarah’s team carefully considered the construction sequencing to avoid congestion.

Trades were planned and sequenced to avoid overlap and to utilise the available workforce in the busy market.

Innovation

Although the Green House Project (GHP) model of care has been successfully implemented in more than 400 facilities in the United States, Healthia is the first example of the innovative model outside of the US. 

The project’s purposeful design also limits the spread of infectious diseases including COVID-19, by integrating pressurised air reticulation systems. 

Sarah Constructions is proud to have partnered with the ACH Group to deliver an industry-leading project, which will likely have far-reaching implications for the future of older Australians.  

Strong, Functional Relationships

Sarah’s investment in maintaining strong, functional and respectful relationships with the consultant team created a highly collaborative working environment and allowed the integrated team to rigorously assess the design against ACH’s operation and maintenance requirements.  

Consequently, Healthia is an excellent example of high-quality, fit-for-purpose, innovative aged care infrastructure, that looks and feels like a home, but allows for the provision of critical health care and well-being services.

Integrated Approach to Aligned Facilities

A key feature of Healthia is a partnership with the University of South Australia (UniSA), where students undertake placement with residents.  

The University also now operates a general practice and student-led allied health clinic on the second storey of the central common building.  

UniSA engaged Sarah to concurrently deliver the clinic’s $4.5 million fitout to the same high-quality standards as the residential buildings. 

Consequently, the integrated facility was completed six-months earlier than originally programmed.