Project: Tiaho Mai Mental Health Unit - Middlemore Hospital
Sector: Hospital
Location: Building 10, Middlemore Hospital, Hospital Road, Otahuhu, Auckland
Architects: Klein
Building Services: Hawkins Construction
Plumbing Subcontractor: Hanlon Plumbing
Project completed: October 2020
Middlemore Hospital's new $67.5million patient-centred Tiaho Mai Mental Health Unit provides acute adult in-patient treatment and support. The design process used an innovative co-designed approach where patients, families, staff and cultural groups were consulted and able to contribute their ideas to the creation of the facility. The result was a beautifully designed building with an emphasis on quality and a socially inclusive environment that put wellness, family and community at its heart.
Rather than looking institutional, the design integrates natural light and fresh air with large rooms and corridors, multiple landscaped courtyards and open plan community spaces. Modern artful interiors feature home-like quality surroundings where possible.
This high-security facility poses many challenges when achieving a home-like environment, however, MacDonald Industries were able to provide bathroom products that have been specially designed for this purpose. The main requirements are that bathroom products are designed with anti-ligature features to improve patient safety as well as being vandal-resistant to save on future repair costs and to prevent excessive water use.
“Mental health environments need to provide comfort and a homely feel to make the patients feel less institutionalised. So whilst it's imperative we select products that meet the high level of safety, the bathroom products must retain their familiar domestic appearance,” says Andrew Chaney, MacDonald Industries Business Development Manager.
“Our impressive range has been specially designed and developed to suit the demands of a mental health facility including Tiaho Mai, where the risk of self-harm within the different levels of health areas needs to be removed along with providing a maximum level of vandal resistance. Because of the wide range we offer along with customised components, we can cater to each and every need from our speciality range of fixtures and tapware,” says Andrew.
MacDonald Industries provided a personal collaborative service with specialist technicians on hand to help with advice and installation of all specified fittings and will continue to offer support for any future requirements.
Klein Architects - Winner of 2021 Auckland Architecture Awards
MacDonald Industries are proud to have contributed to the Tiaho Mai Mental Health Unit that was a recently winner of the NZIA 2021 Auckland Architecture Awards. Klein Architects won this award in the Public Architecture category.
This year’s jury was led by convenor Aaron Paterson of Pac Studio, who was joined by Ben Mitchell-Anyon of Patchwork Architecture, Maggie Carroll of Bureaux, Christina van Bohemen of Sills van Bohemen Architects and lay juror Dr Karamia Müller. Paterson said, “One of our main criteria was to ask: does this building uplift the human spirit? The winners all achieved this lofty goal; we felt the heart in the stories behind projects, and the trials and tribulations that were endured to get this architecture built.”
Products supplied for the 82 inpatient bed Tiaho Mai Mental Health Unit included:
Delabie High Security Shower Rose
Franke High Security Toilets
Franke High Security Basins
MacDonald Shower and Basin Tapware
RAK Ceramics Toilets
RAK Ceramics Basins
Warden Electronic Plumbing Control System
Zurn Toilet Flush Valves
MacDonald Industries friendly technical consultants have a wealth of experience and knowledge in high secuirty public bathrooms. Please feel free to get in touch if you require advice or product support.
