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Business Case Approach to Mental Health Design

Royal Perth Hospital Mental Health Ward 2K

The Ward 2K refurbishment at Royal Perth Hospital was guided by a robust business case and delivered within a fully operational clinical setting, requiring careful planning, collaboration, and precision at every stage.

Royal Perth Hospital – Ward 2K is a refurbishment of a voluntary acute mental health inpatient ward within an operational tertiary hospital campus in Perth. Delivered for the East Metropolitan Health Service in collaboration with the Department of Health, the project involved the provision of architecture, interior design, and business case services by Hunt Architects. The project focused on upgrading an ageing facility to align with contemporary mental health care standards, improving patient dignity, safety, and inclusivity while working within the existing footprint.

The success of the Ward 2K refurbishment was underpinned by a carefully developed business case that established a clear, shared vision for the project from the outset. Early stakeholder engagement with clinicians, operational teams, and the Department of Health ensured clinical requirements, safety priorities, and operational constraints were fully understood and embedded into the project scope. This early alignment enabled informed decision-making, realistic planning, and targeted investment, creating a strong foundation for delivery within an operational hospital environment.

Therapeutic Design in a Live Hospital Environment
Central to the project was the creation of a calm, non-institutional environment that supports recovery while meeting the complex safety requirements of a mental health setting. Inspired by trauma-informed design principles, the refurbishment introduces improved patient accommodation with ensuites to all bedrooms, reconfigured communal spaces, and enhanced acoustic privacy throughout. Controlled lighting, warm material palettes, and clear spatial planning help foster a home-like atmosphere that balances comfort with clinical oversight. Delivering these upgrades within a fully operational hospital presented significant challenges. Careful staging, detailed coordination with hospital services, and rigorous compliance with health, safety, and mental health legislation were essential to maintaining continuity of care while achieving a meaningful transformation.

Safety, Inclusivity, and Contemporary Care
Ward 2K was designed to better support a diverse and vulnerable consumer cohort, including considerations for sexual safety, separation of vulnerable patients, and improved inclusivity for the LGBTQIA+ community. Anti-ligature design principles were embedded throughout, alongside enhanced staff visibility, sound-attenuated clinical spaces, and safer staff amenities.
Innovation on the project lay in problem-solving rather than form — resolving ligature risks, patient separation, and acoustic performance within a constrained footprint. The result is a ward that feels welcoming and humane, while operating efficiently and safely for both consumers and staff.

Mental Health Basin

A key innovation emerging from the project is the Royal Perth Hospital – Ward 2K Mental Health Basin, purpose-designed by Hunt Architects in collaboration with the Department of Health for use in mental health facilities across Western Australia. Developed in response to the need for a basin that is anti-ligature, DDA-compliant, hygienic, and non-institutional, the design establishes a new benchmark for mental healthcare environments.

Constructed entirely from Corian Glacier White solid surface, the basin integrates a softly curved bowl, generous bench space, concealed plumbing, and two-tier shelving into a single seamless form. Radiused edges, vandal-resistant fixings, and a smooth, non-porous finish promote safety, hygiene, and durability while maintaining a calm, domestic sensibility. Prototyped and tested within mock-up patient rooms, the basin challenges the perception that mental health environments must feel clinical — demonstrating how safety, dignity, and beauty can coexist.

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