Hillmorton Specialist Mental Health Services, Christchurch, New Zealand – Klein Architects on behalf of Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury

Nominee Information

Te Huarahi Hou, ‘a new journey,’ is a programme of works to modernise, improve and transform facilities at the Hillmorton Campus, Christchurch New Zealand. This project was an opportunity to begin that journey and consolidate mental health services in Christchurch, shifting services from aging security-centric facilities, to flexible, salutogenic, and therapeutic environments.

It features two unique, elegant buildings. The larger providing inpatient mental health services for Perinatal, Eating Disorders and Child and Adolescent groups. It also provides a supportive environment for the Southern Regional health school, outpatient facilities and specialist day programme for child and youth.

A smaller 16-bed inpatient unit supports adult consumers with high and complex mental health needs. These consumers often have a longer length of stay, hence the scale and nature of therapeutic spaces are designed to support their varying needs.

A spectrum of therapeutic spaces were designed to support freedom of choice in healing and recovery; meeting the service users’ physical and psychological needs and supporting whānau (family) to engage in their loved ones’ recovery journeys.

Beautiful interiors with abundant natural light and green connections provide a welcoming, domestic environment, creating a sense of place and inspiration to support oranga hinegaro (mental wellbeing).

The design language, colours and finishes were inspired by the natural environment, and local cultural narrative. Soft curves and arches seen in the design of the joinery, flooring and furniture give a feeling of being cocooned and protected which is particularly important, given patients often feel vulnerable and distressed.

Since opening, we have received amazing feedback on the impact the new space has on consumers and staff. Some consumers who moved here from the old facility were seen outside their bedrooms for the first time. Comments below are typical of the sentiment:

‘Patients are spending far more time in communal areas interacting with staff and each other’

[I can] …‘access outdoors freely in courtyards’

[I love] …‘laying on the beanbags outside watching stars at night’

Architecturally, the buildings’ design took its cues from the local natural environment, neighbouring properties and the Christchurch-modern style.

The buildings’ forms sit comfortably amongst the beautiful campus grounds as well as the surrounding houses, with its striking off set-mono-pitched rooflines, domestic scale − achieved through highly articulated forms, and crisp colour scheme.

The exteriors feature natural cladding materials including timber and slate, a theme that continues inside the buildings, coupled with the maximisation of natural light, giving the interiors a sense of calm and familiarity, rather than sterility.

At a time of global health workforce shortages and wellbeing of staff a priority, these environments are truly supportive of those who work in them, providing a sense of being valued, and safer space to work with consumers.

This was one of the country’s pioneering healthcare Green Star projects and the first to adapt the NZ Green Building Council tool specifically for mental health facilities achieving a 4 Green Star design rating, and is on track for 5 Green Star as-built certification.