March 19, 2025
John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct Tops Out.
The John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct (JHHIP) has reached a critical construction milestone with the ‘Topping Out’ of the $835 million facility. Designed by BVN, the precinct is being delivered by Multiplex in partnership with Health Infrastructure NSW and Hunter New England Local Health District.
John Hunter is one of the busiest hospitals in NSW, and the demand for critical health services is expected to rise as the Hunter region’s population grows by a projected 22% by 2036. The new JHHIP will see the existing John Hunter and John Hunter Children’s Hospitals expanded to include a brand-new Acute Services Building (ASB), providing an additional 40,000 square metres of clinical floor space over seven levels.
The architectural ambition for John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct was to design a future-oriented, sophisticated hospital that connects with the existing building and improves the site’s access issues. We designed for joy, delight, community and connection to improve the experience for patients, visitors and medical staff.
Once complete, the ASB will deliver an expanded Emergency Department, increased by more than 50 per cent and designed to accommodate over 95,000 presentations per year. New inpatient maternity and neonatal intensive care units are being delivered, while the hospital’s ICU capacity will grow by 60 per cent—with capacity for future expansion. Increased demand for surgical services has also led to the addition of 50 per cent more theatres.
Incorporating a ‘Designing with Country’ approach, the design considers caring for the land, using sustainable materials and incorporating Indigenous connections.