Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre

In collaboration with Jacobs, CMM Architects and Te Whatu Ora – Te Tai o Poutini West Coast (formerly The Ministry of Health), WSP delivered design and engineering services for Grey Base Hospital & Health Centre. This programme of work compressed over 20,000m2 of existing clinical services into 8,500m2 of modern, more space-efficient facilities.

Grey Base Hospital opened its doors in 2019. The new facility offers emergency, specialist, and general care to the West Coast including; 24-hour emergency services, acute and planned surgical services via three theatres, pathology, a paediatric and children ward, outpatient clinics, an integrated family health centre, and crucial and urgent care. It also includes medical imaging and radiology, maternity services, laboratory services, allied health services and a kitchen and catering for in-patients.

Location

Greymouth, New Zealand

Client

West Coast District Health Board

Project Status

Completed : 2015-2019

What we’re doing

Along with our partners, we were engaged by Te Whatu Ora – Te Tai op Poutini West Coast to provide design and construction monitoring for the build’s structural, civil, and geotechnical engineering services.  

Improving facilities while scaling down

Envisioned as a multi-purpose facility to enhance the patient care model currently adopted, the new hospital was built on the existing site. Adding complexity to the hospital’s construction was an ambitious design that would compress over 20,000m2 of existing clinical services into 8,500m2 of modern, purpose-built, space-efficient facilities. 

Resilience at the heart of design

Critical to the hospital’s design was the need to offer full functionality after an earthquake, meaning resilience was a prime design consideration for the multi-purpose facility. Additionally, the new hospital required an ability to be self-sufficient for up to 72 hours in the event of an emergency – creating the need for key facilities to meet Importance Level 4 post-disaster seismic performance. 

Ensuring for minimal disruption

During the construction of the new hospital, we developed creative solutions throughout the design and construction phases avoiding significant issues when working in an existing operational environment. We successfully managed various construction impacts on the adjacent existing operational facility such as access, vibration, and noise, while maintaining service continuity for patients and staff. 

Collaboration, communication, and transparency, the key to successful project delivery

Receiving its first patient in July 2020, the new Grey Base Hospital & Health Centre was successfully delivered under an ECI procurement model, which required high levels of collaboration with client and stakeholder groups, other consultants, and construction contractors to achieve cost-effectiveness and design functionality. 

Receiving its first patient in July 2020, the new Te Nīkau, Grey Base Hospital & Health Centre was successfully delivered under an ECI procurement model, which required high levels of collaboration with client and stakeholder groups, other consultants, and construction contractors to achieve cost-effectiveness and design functionality. 

WSP engineers provided extensive life cycle cost analysis, and supplier sourcing assistance, and held multiple briefing sessions with the Ministry of Health and Te Whatu Ora across all stages of the project - ensuring design and construction consensus before adopting value management initiatives. 