Dunedin Hospital ICU, HDU and Gastro

This project to replace cramped, outdated facilities at Dunedin Hospital started with the construction of a new gastroenterology department on level 8. The facility includes reception and administration areas, two endoscopy suites with x-ray protection capabilities, a nursing base, 10-bed recovery area, utilities and office spaces.

We then moved on to renovate the intensive care and high dependency units on level 5, completing the work over two stages to allow the essential service to keep operating. We started with the full demolition of the existing ward, including removal and relocation n of the services, then built and fitted out a new 22 bed ward with a negative pressure isolation room, segregation rooms, a positive pressure ventilation lobby, offices, nurses’ stations, utilities areas and drug rooms.

Our team coordinated with the hospital’s clinical teams, both on the floors we were working on and adjacent floors, to ensure that their requirements in the 24/7 critical care environment were always prioritised.

Services coordination in the aging building was a key challenge throughout the project, especially connecting new services into the existing plant. There wasn’t enough space in the ceiling to complete the work as-designed and we also found asbestos, so our team worked closely with the consultants to make it work. Additional requirements to re-route services temporarily between the ICU and HDU stages also required significant input from our services team and the mechanical contractor, all of whom rose to the challenge admirably.