With a build totaling over $36 million, the SCGH project involved expanding the existing cancer ward into a state of the art cancer treatment centre, doubling the amount of radiation bunkers and providing space for treatment and recovery for patients and administration workspace for staff.
The new building ties in seamlessly with the existing Cancer Care Ward, with additions of this extending from the South, East and West sides of the existing building. Due to the operating working environment, Atlas Building needed to take special care during construction to mitigate spread of infections, and incorporate the safety of working staff and visitors.
Due the high volumes of radiation generated for therapy inside the centre, the project involved over 3000 cubic metres of concrete poured to the slab and walls of the building. Other facilities included a basement parking garage for more than 200 cars, a treatment room for Brachytherapy, a 600 square metre Day Ward and two CT rooms.
From a technical perspective, and due to the varying amounts of radiation, the building design needed to include radiation shielding. This required the installation of lead plated rooms all the way through to linac bunkers which incorporated a ‘snail-shell design’ of 1.2 metre thick concrete wall surround.