CSU Community Health Facility, Orange

The School of Community Health and Rehabilitation at Charles Sturt University Orange Campus houses the School of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Science.

The facility is located at the northern end of the campus main pedestrian axis which connects the building to the existing library, lecture theatre, student facilities, new School of Dentistry and School of Nursing.

The building’s design expresses a sophisticated rural aesthetic linking it strongly through form, colour and materials to its rural setting to create a beautiful and striking symbol for the campus. The project was intended to be a built symbol for the University, expressing its strong relationship to its rural place.  Light steel frame structures that support the roof sheeting are reminiscent of the eucalyptus trees adjacent to the site.

The building gives new life to the northern part of the campus and expands the campus teaching facilities in the medical and allied health facilities. The building has been designed to have a visual relationship and to interact with the existing adjacent buildings, the new landscaped forecourt opposite the main entry and to the new pedestrian link to the western area of the campus precinct and future development in this precinct of the campus.

The new facilities cater for the specialist teaching requirements of the faculty with large flexible column free teaching clinics.  High level windows in the two clinics provide ventilation, light and contact with environment outside whilst maintaining the Client’s brief for privacy to these spaces. Spaces for  students to interact have been located adjacent to large areas of glazing which overlook and allow views into the building from the new western pedestrian axis and the extended northern pedestrian access.

BHA worked closely with the structural engineer to provide large column free internal spaces to meet the Client’s brief and provide large overhangs externally to assist with preventing sun entering into spaces in summer. BHA collaborated with the services engineers to ensure that the Client’s requirements were incorporated.  Natural light has been optimised in the clinics via high level windows whilst maintaining the Client’s brief for privacy in the clinics.