University of Queensland School of Medicine, Rural Clinical School by Arkhefield

The esteemed Rural Clinical School of the University of Queensland School of Medicine focuses on encouraging medical practitioners to take up practice by providing positive clinical education and training experiences for medical students in rural areas. And nothing aids the learning experience more than to do so in a welcoming and efficient environment. This is exactly what Arkhefield has provided with their design of the school.

Located at the north-western corner of the Toowoomba Base Hospital, on what was originally a house block, the new facility’s plan form is simple and rational, pushed to the rear of the site to create a buffer to the bustle of traffic and on-site car parking is also accommodated. The building shuts down to the east and west by means of a series of in-situ concrete walls, and opens up along the long north and south elevations with the use of full-height glass curtain walling.

Arkhefield have carried perforated façades throughout the building into the joinery and signage within, and have created a warm, tactile and inspirational internal area in which to learn. This is further reinforced by the use of board finish off-form concrete walls, copper soffits, timber feature doors and large expanses of glass, making this a truly contemporary design. More often than not, hospitals and other medical training facilities suffer from their austere, sterile environments. In this case, the opposite is true, Arkhefield having made use of reductive detailing, a robust materials palette and expressive volumes to create a unique alternative to clinical interiors, one in which students can be easily motivated.

Entry to the building is via a sheltered walkway on the southern boundary which flanks green open space. Teaching and learning spaces are situated on the ground floor, with administration and academic spaces found on the first floor. The former encompasses a medical library, study and computer room, clinical skills lab, student kitchen and two lecture rooms. The latter hosts offices, a staff lounge, a kitchen, toilet facilities, meeting rooms and a utility room, all of which hang off a central hallway, naturally lit through the high level windows situated along the entire length.

Mass concrete walls add to the sustainability aspect of the design, as do the polished concrete floors of the lower level, which serve to provide a thermal mass in winter and a cool dissipater in summer. Floor-to-ceiling doors and windows promote cross ventilation and appropriate solar gain, whilst double glazing assists in controlling the internal air temperature. A solar hot water system supplies year-round hot water in addition to the water tanks, which allows for large volumes of rainwater harvesting.

Beyond the building, even the landscaping appears to retain a medical theme, with the majority of plants used throughout having some sort of medicinal use.

For its superb and functional design, the UQ Rural Clinical School received a Commendation at this year’s Australian Institute of Architects Darling Downs Regional Awards. Such an accolade, among others, serves to suggest that Arkhefield’s modern approach to medical facilities is one that could point to a breakthrough in the way institutional buildings are designed. With Arkhefield leading the way, cold, sterile medical environments may just well be a thing of the past. +

PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Burrows

1. The use of off-form concrete walls, copper soffits and large expanses of glass makes this a truly contemporary design. 2. Entry to the building is via a sheltered walkway on the southern boundary, which flanks green space. 3. Teaching and learning spaces occupy the first floor of the school. 4. The ground level houses an up-todate medical library. 5. Floor-to-ceiling doors and windows promote cross ventilation and appropriate solar gain.