St Vincent’s Private Hospital Redevelopment, Sydney, NSW

The $160 million redevelopment of the St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Darlinghurst includes the refurbishment of the existing high rise levels 6 to 10 and construction of a new 14 storey East Wing clinical services building.

A major constraint of the project was physical space, as the construction site was within a land-locked area of the hospital. NDY was required to undertake extensive due diligence audits, constant and thorough consultation with the design team and builder, and a conscientious design that considered impact on existing hospital operation and staff.

The works included upgrades of existing power, fire and smoke control infrastructure. Of particular note, the new substation required multiple iterations of options analysis and power negotiations, which NDY resolved through coordination with the project partners — the architect and builder, Hassell and Buildcorp respectively.

The smoke hazard management implementation was also challenging due to the low floor to floor height and inability to run the required large ducts horizontally. NDY’s innovative solution resolved these issues and in addition provided a mechanical air conditioning solution that provides individual temperature control to each patient room. This smoke control upgrade has significantly increased the fire safety of the building both for occupants and attending firefighters.

The works within the existing high rise included the refurbishment of 210 existing beds with the new East Wing adding an additional 48 beds. The redevelopment works required complex staging in a live environment in order to integrate the proposed works with the existing hospital and keep as many beds operational as possible.

Other project features and innovations include:

• Construction of a new Clinical Sterile Services Department (CSSD) on top of an existing roof
• Two operating theatres including a hybrid intraoperative theatre
• Recovery and hydrotherapy pool located on Level 12
• Ambulatory Care
• 48 new beds
• Refurbishment of 210 existing beds
• Consulting suites
• Cafeteria and commercial laundry.