MEDIA RELEASE
13 October 2008
Mornington Centre wins the 2008 Horbury Hunt Award
The Mornington Centre has won the 2008 Horbury Hunt Award for
outstanding brick craftsmanship and innovation in built commercial projects.
The Victorian centre, built by Abigroup and designed by Lyons Architects,
pushes the limits of a conventional hospital to create an environment that
places patients first.
The Horbury Hunt Awards recognise Australian commercial projects that use
clay brick in an innovative and well designed way. The awards are an
initiative of Think Brick Australia, a body that represents Australia’s leading
Clay Brick and Paver manufacturers.
At first glance, the $16.2 million Mornington Centre looks less like a hospice
and more like a health retreat. This is accentuated by the breathtaking
Mornington Peninsula location. The hotel-like reception further conveys this
feeling as do the wide sunlit corridors, creating an environment that is
appealing to patients and their families
“The circulation of the building was carefully considered to encourage people
to not feel isolated and to socialise,” said Project Manager Anthony Phillips.
The therapy rooms and wards are accessed through the dining areas, so
patients can walk through the open, populated spaces.
Patient rooms feature bay windows that not only provide views to the outside
but also reduce the thermal heat of the building. The articulation of these bay
windows externally also provides a visual flow to the facade.
Special features of the Mornington Centre include:
20 double and 20 single rooms all with ensuites.
Lifting apparatus in 12 of the patient rooms and ensuites to assist staff
with the transfer of dependant patients from bed to chair or bed to
bathroom.
A number of consultation rooms on each floor for one-on-one or group
therapy as required.
Group rooms designed for multiple purposes including patient and staff
activities.
Secure landscaped mobility and sensory garden areas around the
building, and a third garden for visitors.
The Mornington Centre will treat about 1,500 elderly patients every year,
with the average length of stay expected to be 23 days.
Fresh from the Horbury Hunt win, the Mornington Centre team has also been
short listed for the prestigious World Architecture Festival, to be held on 22 -
24 October in Barcelona.
Abigroup Contractors is one of Australia’s leading engineering and
building companies. Works are undertaken in areas including health,
residential, retail, educational, leisure and commercial building and
roads, bridges, dams, rail, water, telecommunications and mining
infrastructure. Abigroup is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bilfinger
Berger AG, one of the world’s top ten construction companies.
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Further information:
Corporate Communications
Abigroup Limited
Ph (02) 9499 0999
Fax (02) 9499 3822
Email: abimail@abigroup.com.au
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