Multiplex Lands $1B Australia Hospital Contract

By Barbra Murray

Westmead, New South Wales

Multiplex has landed a contract from the New South Wales Government. The Sydney-based contractor recently won the main works contract to develop the centerpiece—a 1 million-square-foot central acute services building—of the $1 billion Westmead Redevelopment hospital project just outside Sydney in Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.

Multiplex’s win comes after a seven-month early contractor involvement phase. Multiplex engaged in a comprehensive user group consultation process that included talks with all involved in the hospital community: clinicians, patients, family members and community members. The end result was a proposal for an HDR Rice Daubney-designed, 12-story vertical hospital that will hold the distinction of being the tallest hospital tower in Australia. 

“The new building will be built up rather than out and won’t follow the traditional large horizontal floorplate,” David Ghannoum, regional managing director of Multiplex, said in a prepared statement. “For patients, this will mean faster transfer times, more natural light and better views from their rooms, aiding their experience and recovery.”

HEALTHY HOSPITAL GROWTH

The U.S. is no stranger to big-ticket hospital projects like Westmead. According to a new report by construction project data provider BuildCentral, more than $21.5 billion of current and planned construction endeavors can be attributed to just 10 of the country’s health systems. But the major developments aren’t limited to the big 10. Other mega-projects across the country include the $1 billion expansion of Boston Children’s Hospital, and the $1.7 billion development of the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, Colo.

“The healthcare sector continues to drive a major part of the construction market,” CEO Rick Kang, CEO of BuildCentral, said in prepared remarks. “

Photo courtesy of Multiplex