Whangarei Hospital Cardiac Catheter Laboratory

The new cardiac catheter laboratory at Whangarei Hospital includes a procedure room and auxiliary spaces including a control room, dirty and clean utilities, sterile store, staff changing rooms and patient recovery rooms. It also includes new self-contained plant in an undercroft below. The new building is connected to the existing Radiology building via a closed-in walkway, in order to allow patients to flow through the existing footprint.

The building is located adjacent to the ambulance bay, with two sides bordered by a working Radiology department and inhabited Medical wing. Argon focused on minimising the impact of  construction on the adjacent emergency, clinical and public spaces. Building methods, sequencing and traffic management were all carefully planned; and good communication with the hospital Facilities team was vital. In addition, crane lifts had to be carefully managed due to the close proximity of the landing pad for the rescue helicopter.

The project included new services within the site, as well as new civil works on the existing footpath external to the site compound. A significant mains sprinkler pipe feeding three other buildings also had to be redirected.

Location: Whangarei
Client: Northland District Health Board