Charlestown Private Hospital

Swanbury Penglase were engaged in August 2019 by Nexus Hospitals to design a new Hospital in Charlestown, New South Wales.

The existing Charlestown Private Hospital had been constructed within a building that was ill suited to it and lacked expansion capacity. Nexus Hospitals had identified a new site, located immediately adjacent to the existing facility, to develop a new Hospital to expand their capacity and surgical offering.

The new site presents some significant design challenges including its location adjacent to a major intersection, significant level changes and exposure to bushfires.

The design response was to:

• Provide 2 levels of basement level carparking which utilised the substantial fall on the site alleviating the need for substantial excavation and retaining.
• Provide 2 Levels of hospital floor space above with the bottom level directly accessing the Pacific Highway.
• Tenanted levels of the building were set 20m back from the rear boundary which, when combined with substantial height separation, provided a buffer against the bushfire risk.

The Hospital contains four Operating Theatres and clinical support spaces located on the top level with the 8 Ward Rooms, Entry, Reception Administration and staff facilities located on the lower level.