Whangārei Hospital
Te Kōtuku Extension
The Te Kōtuku Extension at Whangarei Hospital aims to create a facility that enables provision of excellence in care in a timely and efficient manner, with patients’ health being the highest priority. The project involved constructing an additional storey as well as two lift/stair cores to the existing 2-storey Maternity Building, while providing a new main building entry and improving connectivity back to the main hospital via Medical Wing B.
Previously, only Level 1 was occupied as the Maternity Ward (which has since remained) and Level 2 was previously a vacant space. As part of the project, Level 2 was fitted out as the new Paediatric Inpatient Ward and Special Care Baby Unit, while the newly extended Level 3 is the new permanent home to the hospital’s Diagnostic Medical Laboratory.
The ability to move these services into a new facility addresses some key issues the hospital campus has been facing for many years – including lack of building capacity leading to undersized services, and aging and not fit for purpose facilities.
The 1800m2 diagnostic medical laboratory and associated support spaces contain a 240m2 PC2 containment lab for safe molecular and microbiological work and a full Histopathology department including Immunohistochemistry and fresh and frozen cytology capabilities. The laboratory also features a state-of-the-art Roche diagnostics automated biochemistry and haematology track and storage recall system, and a NZ Blood Services lab which provides timely access to blood and blood products for the hospital. The technical spaces are supported by pathologist diagnostic work rooms, a logistics hub including temperature controlled cool rooms, staff facilities, patient reception and meeting rooms.
Level 2 features a Paediatric Inpatient Ward including Day Stay Unit, and Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU). This will help to enable equity of service and support the holistic patient / whānau focused healthcare service provision that is one of the Northland District Health Boards key missions. It will more closely connect the Paediatric Inpatient Ward and SCBU with the maternity and birthing ward below, creating the much-needed Women’s and Children’s healthcare hub.
Externally, the extension of the existing multi-coloured curtainwall façade system required careful design planning and close collaboration with the manufacturer and contractor. The two new building cores are intentionally designed to be neutral and subtle in appearance, so they act as backdrop to the more vibrant main glass façade, signage, and cultural artworks.
The building features two pieces of mahi toi by ringa toi Tash Nikora, supported by her mentor Te Hemo Ata. Klein, and our cultural capability partner, Matakohe Architecture + Urbanism worked closely with Tash to integrate her mahi into the building fabric. The first piece is a starry sky pattern CNC-routed into the main entry canopy’s soffit, which is then lit from the edges. The second piece Te Āio Māhaki symbolises the traditional birthing mat, and is constructed as a ‘lightbox’ located on the eastern lift core external wall – highly visible from Hospital Road.
The interior design scheme has been inspired by the beautiful coastlines of Northland, in particular its beaches, by drawing from their calmness, child-like sense of freedom, colours and textures, and light quality. These in turn informed finishes selection, approach to their application, and the general sense of calm the environment evokes, for the benefits of the patients and staff.