Royal Adelaide Hospital has become the first large-scale hospital complex in Australia to achieve a certified 4 Star Green Star – Healthcare As Built rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). The 800-bed Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) is the state’s flagship hospital, providing a comprehensive range of the most complex clinical care to an estimated 85,000 inpatients and 400,000 outpatients each year.

Cundall was the ESD consultant for this project, providing strategic advice during the procurement stages and working alongside the successful PPP bidder. The rating is based on its sustainable design and construction as well as its operation, fit out and positive impact on staff and patients.

“This is a great achievement for such a complex infrastructure project” explains Lewis Hewton, Cundall, who led the ESD team and preparation of the Green Star submissions for nearly nine years. “Seeing the project develop over the years and achieve its sustainable aspiration is an amazing achievement, this Green Star recognition is a great indication of this; benefiting both the environment, the patients and the many staff working in this modern facility”.

The site boasts a total of 3.8 hectares of landscaped environment, including more than 70 internal themed courtyards, sky gardens across the hospital’s nine levels, such as the Spinal Garden and an Aboriginal Garden, creating a 1.6-hectare footprint of green space within the hospital.

The RAH has been designed to optimise daylight, reducing the demand for artificial light. Extensive energy metering and reporting strategies are in place to identify and manage energy consumption. Cundall provided building simulation modelling to optimise the orientation of the buildings to minimise thermal loads whilst maximising daylight penetration. Onsite generation systems utilise waste heat to provide heating to the building.