Barwon Health Mental Health, Drugs & Alcohol Service Expansion
A safer, more welcoming home for a growing community mental health service, designed and ready to build.
We designed an expansion of Barwon Health's Mental Health, Drugs & Alcohol Service at the Corio Community Health Centre, extending into the vacant building next door. The design creates more consulting rooms, meeting spaces and a dedicated staff area, balancing a welcoming experience for clients with strong security for staff. It's ready for tender, pending construction funding.
Completion
Design complete 2025, awaiting construction funding
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Design
Client
Barwon Health
Location
Corio Community Health Centre, Geelong, VIC
A Service That Had Outgrown Its Home
The Corio MHDAS facility had been due for an upgrade for some time. Consulting rooms were too small, staff areas weren't fit for purpose, and ongoing security incidents were affecting the safety of staff and clients. After working together on earlier community projects, Barwon Health asked us to help.
Welcoming for Clients, Secure for Staff
Clients needed to feel respected and have their privacy protected, while staff needed to stay safe when situations become difficult. We also had to work within the limits of an existing building and a tight budget, on a busy site shared with other community services.
Listening to the People Who Work There
We met with nursing representatives, senior clinicians and the IT manager to understand how staff work and the security they need. When our open plan staff area challenged some people's thinking, we walked them through why the building made it the best option. We also planned staged construction to keep the site fully accessible.
A Plan Ready to Build
Our design expands into the vacant former dental facility next door, creating five consulting rooms, two meeting rooms, a kitchenette and space for 12 staff, with minimal structural change. It's ready for tender, and once funded, it will give clients a more dignified place to visit and give staff a safer place to work.