$60m to bring Uni of Adelaide Med School to West-End

UoA Medical school
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Saturday, 15 June 2013

The University of Adelaide today welcomed a Federal Government grant of $60m to support construction of its new medical school building in Adelaide's West-End, announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The University will construct a new clinical health building, bringing the schools of Medicine and Nursing together, next to the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and the South Australian Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). The vision is to also incorporate the Dental School into the new facility providing seamless collaboration between the three clinical disciplines.

University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Warren Bebbington said the Australian Government grant would ensure the multi-storey facility would be ready for students when the hospital opens in 2016.

"A hospital and its medical school depend on each other. Moving the University of Adelaide's health schools to be with the new hospital in the West-End is essential to preserve the co-location and interaction we have always had with the existing hospital on Frome Road. Plus being next to SAHMRI means we can centralise teaching, research and patient services in a single location," he said. "The Australian Government's support will make a critical impact as this new health precinct comes to fruition."

The project cost is likely to exceed $130 million, and construction will start early next year. "This means that health sciences students who started their degrees with us this year will undertake their clinical training in the new building and the new hospital," Professor Bebbington said.

Professor Bebbington said the new building would reinforce the value and reputation of South Australia's oldest and pre-eminent medical school. "Every South Australian would have been treated by a University of Adelaide trained doctor, dentist or nurse at some point in their life," he said.

"South Australians deserve a first-rate health system. The University needs to work with the State to make the most of our health education, research and clinical resources to support the community into the future. Our new building will ensure the next generation of healthcare professionals are equal to the challenge."

Professor Justin Beilby, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences said the new clinical health school would build on more than 125 years of University of Adelaide partnership with the Royal Adelaide Hospital. "Our medical school has been operating for well over a century in close association with the State's primary teaching hospital. Together we have forged a great partnership which relies on us working side by side," he said.

"With 1500 Royal Adelaide Hospital clinicians teaching with us, it is essential that when the hospital moves to the other end of North Terrace, our Medical School moves too.

"And it positions us perfectly to continue our internationally recognised research in the most serious health issues facing our community - cancer, heart disease, nutrition and obesity," he said.

About the Uni of Adelaide Medical School

The University of Adelaide Medical School design concept reflects a new direction for infrastructure development to complement the needs of tomorrow's health sciences education.

It will be designed to promote small-group learning, particularly at undergraduate level, with integrated research and shared teaching areas to encourage seamless collaboration between students from different schools.

The new building concepts, prepared by Lyons Architects, feature a diversity of 'new generation' spaces including:

• small collaborative group study areas
  
• experiential teaching spaces
  
• skills-based learning laboratories within technology-rich environments
  
• unique student social spaces to encourage a 'peer to peer' learning culture

Inspired by the University's North Terrace Campus, the concept incorporates familiar features such as terracing, courtyards, cloisters, connecting stairs, unique social spaces, materials and textures.

The design will connect the streetscape with the West-End precinct and the wider city of Adelaide. There is an abundance of light and transparency and plenty of room for students to interact.

The façade design reflects the well-known West-End railway lines to create a series of sunshade devices on the outside of the building.

The ground floor will act as a welcoming 'urban connection space', with views to the River Torrens and beyond to the Adelaide Oval. This will reinforce a sense of openness and accessibility for students, staff and visitors.

There are environmentally sustainable design features such as fully automated natural ventilation to key public spaces, a high performance double glazed facade, low pollutant materials, water saving and energy saving infrastructure.

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