St George’s Hospital is now four years into an exciting redevelopment that is progressively boosting the quality and range of services available to the local community.
Canterbury’s earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 provided the impetus for the redevelopment, the goal of which has been to rebuild and transform the hospital campus in Merivale with leading edge facilities.
“Current developments include five new state -of-the-art operating theatres, a fully equipped intensive care unit including an isolation facility, a high tech equipment and instrumentation sterilisation service, new surgical ward, new cancer care radiation treatment facilities and atrium/reception building,” says Greg Brooks, CEO of St George’s.
“The next stage of redevelopment that has just commenced will see the completion of new day surgery theatres, a purpose-built maternity ward, new laundry, a medical supply store and plant room.” This final phase is due to be completed by 2020.
Tony Hunter, project coordinator, says precise planning has been required to ensure the hospital remains fully operational.
Service connection changes between buildings have been carefully managed, while heavy construction work has been timetabled so as not to disrupt surgical requirements.
“Every fortnight we have a formal site meeting with representatives from the construction team, architects, engineers and the hospital,” Tony says.
“There are also daily interactions on site between Higgs Construction and various senior hospital personnel. Our priority, above all else, is for the hospital to keep fully functioning.”
An artesian bore water system is planned to provide energy efficient heating and cooling to the redevelopment.
Two bores with the required water flows are available – one for extraction and one for reinjection – and resource consent is now being sought. A system to reduce neighbourhood noise is another environmental feature.
Seismic resilience has been a key priority with base isolation built into the project’s new facilities, ensuring buildings will move sideways – up to 650mm in any direction – in the event of any future earthquake, so protecting those inside.
Higgs Construction, the main contractor on site since 2014, was engaged on an ECI (Early Contractor Involvement) basis.
The redevelopment is progressively boosting the quality and range of services available at St George’s.
“It means we have been working very closely with St George’s from the outset and have been involved in all the planning meetings and the enabling works,” says Paul Harris, director of Higgs Construction, who observes that careful planning and close collaboration with a team of capable contractors has ensured building targets have been met.
At the helm of the Higgs Construction team are two of its most highly experienced members, project manager Mark Weber and project director Dave Freeman. Both have been involved in planning from the outset.
Their job has been made easier throughout the build process due to Higgs having a high level of its own construction plant, including one of the largest tower cranes in the South island.
Higgs Construction also has all its own propping, falsework, scaffolding and other key equipment, thereby reducing the need to rely on hired equipment in a busy market place.
“Now with the final stage in front of us, we look forward to providing St George’s with the completed modern medical facility that they have spent years planning,” Paul says.
Completed developments at St George’s Hospital include five new state -of-the-art operating theatres, a fully equipped intensive care unit including an isolation facility, a high tech equipment and instrumentation sterilisation service, new surgical ward, new cancer care radiation treatment facilities and an atrium.
As well as being the main construction contractor, Higgs is also delivering all the fit-out work to a very high standard.
These fit-outs have included the new $6 mmllion Pacific Radiology department, Oncology department, and changes to surgery theatres and other alterations.
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Seismic resilience has been a key priority with base isolation built into the project’s new facilities.
