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For the growing town of Port Macquarie, the expansion of the local Base Hospital has not only brought world-class services, equipment and skills to the region, the $17.5 million expanded mental health unit has also delivered a new approach to holistic care through thoughtful design, inside and out. 

Responding to a design brief that called for natural light and quiet, secure, spaces for relaxation inside and out, design team A.W Edwards and STH Architects utilised colour and texture to create a new care experience for the hospital’s patients, family and staff. The design team says they are proud to be involved with the modernisation of healthcare services and has completed works at various hospitals across New South Wales.

“With the expansion of the Port Macquarie Base Hospital Mental Heath Unit, the design carefully considers that access to areas other than the inside of a hospital room could support patient recovery. The incorporation of accessible courtyard spaces allows patient interaction with the outdoor elements – in particular sunlight, breeze and views towards the surrounding treetops,” the design team stated.

Cemintel Territory™ Savanna was used as external cladding for the courtyard facades. The dual colour selection features Mist and Cloud in a horizontal formation on the building’s external facades and space within the courtyards. The horizontal installation adds to the sense of an open and relaxed flow. The design team commented that the colours were chosen specifically to feel warm and safe, and to connect elements of the space together.

“They are cohesive with the outdoor environment. Mist connects to the ground and Cloud connects to the sky, which extends the scale of the space and creates a feeling of openness,” the design team stated.

Coastal Commercial Linings Foreman, Brock Baird, was familiar with Territory Savannah prior to the design and suggested it to enhance the quality and performance of the space. “The installation process was seamless, and by cutting the panels to different sizes and staggering the dark panels in between, we were able to keep the space interesting without dominating it,” says Brock.

The Port Macquarie Base Hospital plays a fundamental role in serving the local community and the expansion project will elevate its services to support hundreds more. Choosing materials that would be durable with minimal maintenance was at the forefront of the design process. Territory Savanna has platinum coating technology, which protects against UV damage and colour fade, with a NichiGuard® stain resistant and self-cleaning coating. It also provides long-term thermal performance with a ventilated cavity between the panels that prevents mold and water build up and provides a more sustainable method of heating and cooling.

Cemintel’s Territory Savanna allowed the design team to modernise and enhance the courtyards within the unit which will be used by staff, patients and their families.

The expansion project will have separate courtyards designed for adults, adolescents and close observation patients.

CSR Cemintel
Port Macquarie Base Hospital
Port Macquarie Base Hospital
Port Macquarie Base Hospital
Port Macquarie Base Hospital
Port Macquarie Base Hospital

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Port Macquarie Base Hospital

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CSR Cemintel are the fibre cement and lightweight composite solution specialists. With design and innovation as our central drivers, Cemintel offers engineered systems around prefinished solutions that enhance performance and aesthetics, as well as traditional internal lining products. Our passion is to help Kiwis design right, and build better.

Cemintel fibre cement is changing the face of design and innovation in Australia. Tapping into global design trends, Cemintel brings the best the world has to offer to the Australian market – providing the latest designs fused with innovative new approaches. Cemintel is part of CSR – the brand behind the most trusted building products. Cemintel has a progressive approach to fibre cement built around a team of experts, including; technical support, engineers and building designers. For our clients, it means you’re getting the best products paired with the best experience.

Cemintel - Cement Intelligence

With unparalleled design flexibility, fibre cement is perhaps one of the most flexible building materials available today. Through innovation and intelligence with cement panels, Cemintel offers a range of products, systems and services that inspire, giving choice and real design flexibility to create striking points of difference.

Unparalleled Design Flexibility

Fibre cement is perhaps one of the most flexible building materials available today.

  • It can be manufactured in numerous panel sizes and thicknesses.
  • It can be cut into various shapes and patterns.
  • It can be compressed for high strength applications.
  • It can be used in acoustic systems.
  • It can be used as a superior wet area lining product.
  • It can be painted.
  • It can be tiled.
  • It can be used for fire resistance applications.

New materials influence the way buildings are defined. Cemintel is responding to the growing importance of external and internal cladding with the release of new prefinished ranges. These ranges respond to the preference for high performance, lightweight materials and the desire for buildings to enhance the environment where we live. From external façades to interior surfaces, these ranges are a reinterpretation of cladding as we know it.

It’s the future of building and it starts now.

An Idea Born From Imagination

The father of fibre cement, Ludwig Hatschek, started to imagine a new building material in 1894. He wanted a material that was lighter than brick, cheaper than slate and better than sheet metal.

In 1900, he achieved his breakthrough with a special mix of fibres, cement, pulp, air and water. The Austrian calls the world’s first industrially manufactured building material ‘Eternit’ and numerous European countries adopted the technology from 1903. Australia first introduced the technology in about 1917.