A new pathology laboratory located at the South West Health Campus in Bunbury has been seamlessly integrated with the established hospital campus, providing increased capacity and improved efficiency within a constrained site.

The existing 170m2 pathology lab at Western Australia Country Health Service’s (WACHS) South West Health Campus was undersized and awkwardly located for deliveries and workflows. In order to address the high and ever-increasing demand for pathology services from the co-located Bunbury Regional Hospital and St John of God Bunbury private hospital, the facility was in much need of an upgrade.

Having completed three other projects on this campus, Carabiner was engaged by WACHS to increase the pathology lab’s capacity in consultation with PathWest, the provider of pathology services. Our scope included full-service delivery of the project, from design to contract administration, including the role of superintendent’s representative.

Spanning two levels, the new facility is now located at the front of the hospital, improving public access.

The lab connects directly to the existing outpatient area and sample collection rooms. The main laboratory and collection rooms are positioned on the ground floor, while the histopathology laboratory, offices and staff room occupy the second storey.

This project required complex facility planning, fitting four times the original area into an existing building envelope, while ensuring seamless visual and physical connection to surrounding buildings. To create space, we designed vertically and modified the hospital entry road and drop-off lanes.