Nicholson Construction delivered the Swanston Centre acute mental health inpatient unit for Barwon Health, this centre provides intensive mental health care, support and treatment for people aged over 18. This project included the extension and refurbishment of the high dependency unit (HDU) and seclusion wing.
There were several refurbishment challenges, including constructing fire protection within pre-existing walls, trusses, adding services to satisfy fire separation and building surveyor requirements all while staying within budget and timeframe.
As a mental health facility, there was requirement for anti-ligature hardware throughout. This included making sure there were no potential points for self-harm. Extreme care was taken during the construction and quality assurance phases to achieve this. Several client driven extras (variations) were managed and coordinated throughout the build to satisfy Barwon Health, and these changes were carried out seamlessly in the live construction and operational environment.
Overall, Nicholson Construction ensured contractors and direct staff always abided by the constantly shifting COVID-19 guidelines.
