QE Health and Wellness Centre

QE Health is New Zealand’s only clinically integrated health and wellness centre providing a complimentary range of personalised health services using a unique combination of clinical practice and natural therapies. This uniqueness is reflected in the design features of the facility. As a place of healing, the design sought to present spaces that were private, calm and in in many cases, connected with the outside through internal and external landscape.  The site location is in an active geothermal environment with open steam vents surrounding. These columns of steam rising and dissipating into the atmosphere present a theatre of kinetics by nature. The design attempts to emulate this vertical expression and dynamism with a heavily textured exterior cladding and screens that evoke a sense of movement as you move around the building. The thermally modified exterior timbers and screens over openings and glazed apertures in an off white further enhance this analogy. A welcoming reception at the heart of the complex separates the main functions of the building. Clinical services, public use spaces such and gymnasium and treatment pools, the accommodation wing and Spa therapies are all integrated and connected for staff, yet distanced and private for patients and guests. Thirteen accommodation suites allow international guests to a place stay for the duration of their treatment. Sustainable features include a predominant timber engineered structure, locally sourced thermally modified timbers for interior and exterior, geothermal exchange water heating for pools and in slab heating, energy efficient lighting and low VOC materials. Another feature of the large footprint building is the design of several light well penetrations into the centre of the building. These allow natural light into spaces otherwise deep in the building requiring less demand on artificial lighting. The building is set to take QE health’s long previous history into the future of unique holistic health and healing practice.