CLT stars in this showpiece healthcare and commercial building.
Sydney’s Hills District is a step closer to a new health and medical precinct, with the recent topping out ceremony at The Bond, Norwest. This is the first of three planned healthcare and commercial buildings being developed by Norwest’s parent developer, Mulpha. The development will support and add critical service extension to the adjacent Norwest Private Hospital and meet growing local demand for health and medical services.
The Bond is made up of seven storeys-worth of 1630m2 floors, which are already mostly rented out in whole or in part to a variety of healthcare and allied sector tenants. It was designed using state-of-the-art CLT for the floorplates, walls and stairs, as well as traditional laminated timber columns and beams for the frame, plus full-height glazing for natural light.
The fabric of the building was chosen in large part for its biophilic properties, with visible timber known to increase feelings of wellbeing and optimism as well as improving concentration for people working within such buildings. The materials and connections were tested at the CSIRO Fire Testing lab in North Ryde to make sure they achieved full 90-minute FRL.
Mulpha’s head of developments Tim Spencer said, “In addition to offering design flexibility and unique aesthetics, these new-age timber technologies have incredible strength and efficiency, and the potential to be carbon-neutral over their lifecycle, something increasingly attractive to blue-chip clients.
“For patients, it means they have a more comprehensive one-stop shop for their healthcare needs where they don’t need to travel too far for multiple specialist treatments.”
The building will also feature a ground floor retail environment, a childcare facility, end-of-trip facilities (showers, changerooms and bicycle storage), basement carparking, short-term visitor parking and service vehicle and loading facilities.
Above: A render of the completed building, which is due to be finished early in 2023.
Centuria Healthcare has secured eight strata titles within the building. Managing director Andrew Hemming said: “Centuria Healthcare invests in high-quality, fit-for-purpose real estate that is tailored to our tenant clients’ needs. In particular, we look to secure modern, new-generation buildings that employ flexible designs so they can potentially be adapted in the future for newer equipment, robotic procedures or the latest sterilisation plant and equipment.
“The Bond ticks a lot of boxes for us in addition to providing exceptional sustainability credentials through its CLT structure. Its location in proximity to other public and private healthcare infrastructure is also very appealing.”
Buildcorp has managed the construction; managing director Tony Sukkar AM said: “The Bond is Buildcorp’s fourth mass timber project. Our team has developed and implemented more than 20 proactive safety and quality initiatives for The Bond, while navigating all the impacts of Covid-19 and wet weather. Our enduring relationship with valued partners Mulpha and Centuria has gone from strength to strength, with this state-of-the-art building establishing a new industry benchmark.”
Due for completion in the first quarter of 2023, The Bond is part of a masterplanned health and medical precinct that will deliver allied healthcare as well as specialist services not currently available in the Hills.
For more, visit www.norwestcity.com.au/property/the-bond/
Main image: Representatives from Mulpha, Buildcorp and Centuria in front of The Bond, Norwest.
