Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital – Mental Health Stabilisation Unit

The new Mental Health Stabilisation Unit (MHSU) at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital aims to address critical spatial and operational deficiencies while enhancing the care environment for mental health consumers and staff. Studio STH, in collaboration with Phillips Smith Conwell, have developed a design that creates a warm, safe, and supportive environment that reduces consumer trauma and supports recovery. The atmosphere is welcoming and non-institutional, promoting both psychological and physical safety for consumers and staff. The layout has been carefully considered to support a calm, therapeutic setting that aligns with the current model of care. A core principle of the design is achieving a balance between safety and the essential values of choice, privacy, and dignity. 

Treatment spaces include a six chair 24-hour treatment zone and a four bed 72-hour treatment zone, with both spaces having access to casual lounges, multipurpose rooms, an external courtyard and a de-escalation/seclusion room. 
The project also includes the requirement to maintain 24/7 access to the adjacent emergency operations room and reconfigure part of medical records to allow the new MHSU space to be accommodated.