In line with the Government of South Australia’s commitment to a 100 per cent renewable grid by 2030, the new world-class facility will eliminate the use of fossil fuel on site, by connecting to an electricity source supplied from the electrical network or through on-site electricity generation and storage.
Since engagement as the lead engineering consultant on the project in 2020, covering all elements of sustainability, structural, building and specialist services, WSP has played a key role as lead of the engineering consortium delivering the masterplan and concept design.
Matthew Salisbury, who is the South Australian & Northern Territory Regional Director and the New Women's and Children's Hospital Project Director said: “We’re pleased to be supporting our client, SA Health, in creating a resilient and future ready hospital that will leave a positive legacy for future generations. We’ve been helping to develop a solution aligned with the Government of South Australia’s strategic targets for sustainability.”
Bernadette Fitzgerald, Sustainability Lead, WSP in Australia, added: “While we’ve been guiding the New Women’s and Children’s Hospital project team on a range of sustainable design features, the decision to go all-electric has been the most significant and only made possible by the robust feasibility assessment that each of our engineering disciplines contributed to.”
Undertaking this work early in the design phase enabled WSP’s project team to assess a range of sustainability implications such as different plant spatial requirements, as well as appraise additional benefits like improved operational redundancy.
The government estimates that as a net zero operational hospital, the New Women’s and Children’s Hospital will prevent approximately 2,100 tonnes of greenhouse gas being emitted per year, which is the equivalent of taking approximately 700 vehicles off the road.
The project has also taken a holistic approach to sustainability by using WELL Building Standards and Green Star rating tools. We are currently investigating the use of:
- Floor plate layouts and façades designed to provide building users with as much access to daylight and views as practicable
- A low-embodied greenhouse gas emission construction materials strategy
- Non-potable water solutions through rainwater collection and connections to recycled water supplies
- Energy modelling for the entire hospital including building services, clinical and other non-regulated equipment to develop an energy efficiency strategy
WSP is working collaboratively with the builder as part of an Early Contractor engagement process to inform further opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the project.
Bernadette concluded: “The Government of South Australia is truly demonstrating leadership in the design of the hospital, and it is set to become the most sustainable major public hospital in Australia when the project is completed.”
