Community-centred health training & practice
CDU Centre for Better Health Futures, Darwin
Charles Darwin University’s Centre for Better Health Futures will significantly boost the University’s reach and capability, by enabling multi-disciplinary collaboration across the University’s health faculty and with partners across the Northern Territory. With a large majority of CDU students currently working remotely, the project also aims to boost campus attendance by enhancing the campus experience.
The Centre will include a simulated emergency department and hospital ward, facilities for student-led clinics and spaces for students and visitors from remote Aboriginal communities and diverse cultural backgrounds.
The project had a history which presented a complex starting point for design. Recognising that the success of the Centre would be dependent on a clear understanding of the context and diverse input into its design, the project architects dwp engaged Big Space to guide early co-design and placemaking for the project.
Working closely with CDU and dwp, Big Space designed and facilitated the initial phase of design. A series of sessions explored people’s perspectives and identified opportunities for better ways of working together, then generated principles and priority outcomes for the future working environment. Big Space reported on discussion outcomes, summarising user’s aspirations and key considerations for the design brief.
Participants included CDU’s partners, health experts and staff, Larrakia Traditional Owners, First Nations advisors, NT Health and people concerned about the impacts on nearby facilities and landscapes.
Building on the visioning work, Big Space contributed to masterplanning and concept development, providing guidance on how to create a welcoming, comfortable experience, particularly for the Faculty’s diverse students. Our advice focused on delivering culturally safe social spaces, waiting areas and amenities; connected social spaces and cultural infrastructure; intuitive wayfinding, integrated art and the conservation of an important adjacent landscape.
