Architecture

Contemporary health facilities fail to recognise the intangible cultural factors of Aboriginal spirituality and well-being. Therefore the treatment of Aboriginal mental health requires a unique spatial outcome. The project is part of a redevelopment of the Healesville and District Hospital, which resides in a rural town with a strong existing Aboriginal community. The site exemplifies the potential to develop a strong connection with the natural environment, which is a fundamental principal of both Aboriginal architecture and the design of mental health spaces. This involved externally orienting the spaces and creating a focus on the threshold between the interior and exterior worlds. It was also important to consider the relevant psychology of the space in order to be supportive of people in an alternative mental state.