❓ A WA parliamentary question explores the feasibility and cost of future expansion of the Perth Children's Hospital, specifically building an additional level. The response details design provisions for a 20% increase in operational area via a central expansion, minimising disruption.
AnsweredQoN 1462Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the possibility of a further level being built on the Perth Children’s Hospital once it is functioning and ask: (a) what advice has the Department received on the cost of building an extra level on the Children’s Hospital, once it is operational; (b) what is the cost comparison between building further levels on the hospital now, as opposed to when it is functional; (c) what international precedents are there for building an additional floor on a hospital, or for major alterations to a hospital, while it is operational and what international examples have been used in planning the Children’s Hospital’s capacity for an additional floor; (d) what modeling into building an extra floor on the Perth Children’s Hospital, when it is operational, has been undertaken; and (e) how many beds would be required to be closed while works to build an additional floor are undertaken?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
3 December 2013
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
33 days
(a) The Department has not received any specific advice on the cost of building an extra level on the Perth Children's Hospital as this has not been considered a viable option for future expansion.
The option of building a single additional floor on the current in-patient block was only viable if carried out as part of the original construction activity. The configuration of the top floor of the current in-patient block would preclude the efficient and cost effective addition of additional space in this area post original construction.
It was a requisite of the design brief that the design provide for a 20% increase in operational area in future if required. This provision has been provided for in the design and construction of the centre section of the hospital adjacent to the existing in-patient units. The structure, lifts and main services enable four floors to be constructed in the centre section with minimal impact on existing operations using construction methodologies commonly utilised on constrained inner-city sites.
(b) This has not been calculated as it would be dependent upon timing. The pre-existing lifts, major services and construction platform would reduce the cost per square metre when compared with a similar stand-alone facility constructed at the same time.
(c)
International examples Especially common in urban situations where there is limited land available.
Children's Medical Centre - Dallas, Texas
Added one (1) additional floor to a bed tower.
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children - Dallas, Texas
Renovated an existing bed floor; major additions and alterations in other areas.
Methodist Hospital - Dallas, Texas
Expanded and renovated existing surgery in four (4) major phases - maintenance operations.
Phoenix Children's Hospital - Phoenix, Arizona
New bed tower addition and major ancillary services.
C.S. Mott Children's - Ann Arbor, Michigan
The addition of a major bed tower with ancillary services as part of University of Michigan campus.
Texas Children's Hospital - Houston, Texas
Additional 15 floors added onto a six (6) storey building.
Australian Examples This is becoming a common expansion strategy in work being undertaken to provide for future expansion, whilst limiting current capital expenditure.
Royal Melbourne Hospital - Parkville, Victoria
Staged with vertical expansion; Four (4) floors built above existing four (4) floors.
Werribee Mercy Hospital - Werribee, Victoria
(proposed expansion)
Currently a two (2) storey building with future five (5) to be added to a total of seven (7) floors.
Ballarat Base Hospital - Ballarat, Victoria
(proposed expansion)
Currently a three (3) storey building - future six (6) to be added to a total of nine (9) floors.
(d) The design for the Perth Children's Hospital has taken into consideration the briefed requirements for future expansion; the briefed future expansion is calculated on the basis of 20% of the gross department area. In preparing the future expansion methodology the following considerations were made:
· Travel;
· Engineering;
· Connections to the QEII Facilities;
· Structure;
· Building Services;
· Building Approvals; and
· Construction methodology.
Modelling around the 'stacking and blocking' of the expansion strategy was undertaken to illustrate how it fit into the building with key details being provided to demonstrate build ability and to record the investigative process for potential use in the future.
('Stacking and blocking' is the process whereby representative diagrams are used to identify areas of activity within the hospital which in turn are assembled within a series of layers so that connectivity can be identified between activities to assess whether they need to interact horizontally or vertically).
(e) The central expansion was designed to minimise the impact on existing operations and there should be no material loss of beds during construction should this option ever be exercised.
The option of building a single additional floor on the current in-patient block was only viable if carried out as part of the original construction activity. The configuration of the top floor of the current in-patient block would preclude the efficient and cost effective addition of additional space in this area post original construction.
It was a requisite of the design brief that the design provide for a 20% increase in operational area in future if required. This provision has been provided for in the design and construction of the centre section of the hospital adjacent to the existing in-patient units. The structure, lifts and main services enable four floors to be constructed in the centre section with minimal impact on existing operations using construction methodologies commonly utilised on constrained inner-city sites.
(b) This has not been calculated as it would be dependent upon timing. The pre-existing lifts, major services and construction platform would reduce the cost per square metre when compared with a similar stand-alone facility constructed at the same time.
(c)
International examples Especially common in urban situations where there is limited land available.
Children's Medical Centre - Dallas, Texas
Added one (1) additional floor to a bed tower.
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children - Dallas, Texas
Renovated an existing bed floor; major additions and alterations in other areas.
Methodist Hospital - Dallas, Texas
Expanded and renovated existing surgery in four (4) major phases - maintenance operations.
Phoenix Children's Hospital - Phoenix, Arizona
New bed tower addition and major ancillary services.
C.S. Mott Children's - Ann Arbor, Michigan
The addition of a major bed tower with ancillary services as part of University of Michigan campus.
Texas Children's Hospital - Houston, Texas
Additional 15 floors added onto a six (6) storey building.
Australian Examples This is becoming a common expansion strategy in work being undertaken to provide for future expansion, whilst limiting current capital expenditure.
Royal Melbourne Hospital - Parkville, Victoria
Staged with vertical expansion; Four (4) floors built above existing four (4) floors.
Werribee Mercy Hospital - Werribee, Victoria
(proposed expansion)
Currently a two (2) storey building with future five (5) to be added to a total of seven (7) floors.
Ballarat Base Hospital - Ballarat, Victoria
(proposed expansion)
Currently a three (3) storey building - future six (6) to be added to a total of nine (9) floors.
(d) The design for the Perth Children's Hospital has taken into consideration the briefed requirements for future expansion; the briefed future expansion is calculated on the basis of 20% of the gross department area. In preparing the future expansion methodology the following considerations were made:
· Travel;
· Engineering;
· Connections to the QEII Facilities;
· Structure;
· Building Services;
· Building Approvals; and
· Construction methodology.
Modelling around the 'stacking and blocking' of the expansion strategy was undertaken to illustrate how it fit into the building with key details being provided to demonstrate build ability and to record the investigative process for potential use in the future.
('Stacking and blocking' is the process whereby representative diagrams are used to identify areas of activity within the hospital which in turn are assembled within a series of layers so that connectivity can be identified between activities to assess whether they need to interact horizontally or vertically).
(e) The central expansion was designed to minimise the impact on existing operations and there should be no material loss of beds during construction should this option ever be exercised.
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