The Western Australian Government has unveiled the concept designs for the state’s $25 million hospice specifically for children, which will be built in the coastal Perth suburb of Swanbourne.
The first of its kind in Western Australia, the children's hospice is designed by Hassell and its expanding healthcare team, the hospice will be a home-like environment for children and their families, surrounded by a coastal setting.
The hospice will be constructed on the site of the former Swanbourne Bowling Club. It will comprise seven beds, three family suites, shared family and play rooms, a hydrotherapy pool and therapy rooms for rehabilitation and a community garden.
WA Premier, Mark McGowan says the former bowling club site is readymade for a children’s hospice.
“This location in Swanbourne is an ideal location for Western Australia’s first children’s hospice, surrounded by nature and close to the ocean. Its intimate design will provide a home away from home for families that will need this support,” he says.
The project is the result of collaboration between the WA Government, the Child and Adolescent Health Service and the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation. The government is contributing approximately $3.2 million towards the $25 million total, which will be mainly directed towards project planning. The project received $4 million from a Lotterywest grant, with the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation taking care of funds for the construction and fitout of the project.
“Concurrently the project team has further refined the requirements for the hospice that will serve the needs of palliative care patients and families for decades to come and now have revised the architectural concepts to reflect their needs,” says Ian Campbell, the Chairman of Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“The next step is to turn these concepts into formal designs which we hope to have finalised this calendar year. We look forward to sharing these with the wider community.”
The hospice is expected to begin its construction phase in late 2022, with plans for the facility to open in 2024.
For more information regarding the project, visit pchf.org.au/childrenshospice.
