Greater Sydney Area
My current work investigates the role of the built environment in supporting the practices of medical research. Amidst increasing resource scarcity, health innovation is seen as the solution to more equitable health care delivery. Significant investment is directed toward precincts, and the architecture that comprises them, on the promise that the built environment can facilitate both the speed and quantity of health innovation. Yet this assumption has not been tested so we don’t understand how design assists this process (or doesn’t). My previous work explored how the built environment influences patient experiences of healthcare, including how architecture supports (or obstructs) staff in their delivery of care, across palliative, paediatric, oncology and mental health care settings. This research was used to inform the first ever “Australasian Health Facilities Guideline for Palliative Care” which sets a baseline for design quality for these facilities in Australia and New Zealand; it is cited as a key reference in the NSW Government Architect's “Design Guide for Health”; and has informed the planning of 17 healthcare facilities across 5 Australian states.