Burwood Hospital

The Burwood Health Campus, the first major Government project to commence following the Christchurch February 2011 earthquakes. This new state-of-the-art facility for Canterbury's elderly, is part of the largest and most complex hospital building project in the history of New Zealand's public health service.

Included in the 35,000m2 project are three, three-storey ward blocks, providing accommodation for up to 230 patients; clinical support services, such as radiology and physiotherapy; an outpatient clinic catering for about 80,000 people each year.

The works were undertaken at an existing, busy hospital facility, so great care was taken to ensure the continuity of all services.

The building is designed to IL3 standard, which means it can be functioning within 10 to 15 minutes of a natural disaster. Pioneering seismic design utilised footings 3m deep in concrete sitting in a bed of sand and floating in a sea of gravel. Pre-cast concrete beams are held up by large steel supports.