Acute Mental Health Unit

The Acute Mental Health Unit is an architecturally-designed new build to create a state-of-the-art mental health facility. Situated at Palmerston North Hospital, it comprises various accommodation arrangements, therapy spaces, a gym area, staff spaces, internal courtyards, landscaped areas and carparking. Its modern rooms will be able to accommodate 28 beds and will include soft furnishings designed with mental health triggers in mind.

The structure features glulam timber, a material made by joining individual wood segments with industrial adhesives to create highly durable and moisture-resistant unique shapes. The detailing of the rooms includes completing special anti-ligature fixtures and, given the difficulty of rectifying any errors, the quality assurance must be accurate first time.

Laying the slab and keeping the glulam structure dry before the roof goes on provides a challenging element of the project. Around 120 staff are working onsite and the job, which will be finished with a beautiful cedar cladding, is on target for completion in the first quarter of 2025