Bridging the gap between design excellence and evidence-based psychiatric innovation relies on three foundational pillars, crucial for architects and planners committed to advancing healthcare environments.
The first pillar, salutogenic functionality, centres on designing spaces that promote wellbeing and health. For architects, this means creating environments that enhance patients' sense of coherence, using strategies such as:
The second pillar is neuroinclusivity and sensory specificity. For patients in acute crisis or with neurodivergent profiles, hospital architecture can either aggravate trauma or support recovery. Eliminating environmental stressors, such as flickering lights, and purposefully engaging all senses are essential. Lighting systems aligned with circadian rhythms mimic natural sleep patterns, while acoustic comfort acknowledges sound as a trigger for distress in individuals with sensory processing differences.
The third pillar addresses power dynamics through co-design. Architects and planners can move beyond user consultation by encouraging authentic co-production. Creating staff zones conducive to dialogue supports trauma-informed practice, enabling staff to sense changes in the ward's mood through environmental cues.
"The built environment in mental health care is not a passive backdrop, but a critical therapeutic partner. When we rigorously align design with evidence from neuroscience and lived experience, we don’t just house treatment, we help advance recovery and dignity. Good design, fundamentally, is a clinical intervention." Erickson Perez, ARCH Associate Senior Interior Designer
ARCH, a specialised architectural practice, has transitioned from conventional healthcare design to a salutogenic and neuroinclusive model. This positions ARCH at the forefront for practitioners who see the environment as an active participant in patient recovery.Led by specialists like Ron Bridgefoot, Kelly Lau and Erickson Perez, our team integrates granular academic research, such as the work of Jan Golembiewski on the "Sense of Coherence", into every conceptual design and into every floor plan, designing for neuro-biological stability.ARCH’s most recently completed mental health project, the South Australian State Government’s Margaret Tobin Centre PICU, addresses the disparity in mental health design by shifting from passive biophilia to salutogenic architecture, prioritising a patient’s neurological self-regulation and spatial autonomy.
Margaret Tobin Centre PICU (Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit)
Flinders Medical Centre (FMC)
Bedford Park, South Australia
$30million | 2,435sqm | 2026
Role
Lead PSC, architect, and clinical planner
Client
DIT / SA Health / SALHN
Key personnel Michael Hegarty – Design Director and Lead Architect, Erickson Perez – Associate and Senior Interior Designer, Ron Bridgefoot – Architectural Clinical Planning Director,
Sean Logue, Kelly Lau, John Schmidt, Nicole Eadie, Bash Dissanayaka
Project anatomy
The architectural design of the new PICU focuses on meticulously balancing clinical necessity with patient dignity, autonomy, and sensory management.
Masterplanning for continuity of care
A primary architectural challenge was integrating the new Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) into the existing MTC fabric. ARCH utilised a suspended floor structure to align the new wing perfectly with the existing Level 4 stock. This wasn’t merely a structural choice; it was a clinical one. It ensures continuity of care by allowing staff to transition patients between different levels of acuity without the trauma of vertical transport or navigating public hospital corridors.
The architecture of the PICU
The expansion introduces a 12-bed unit bifurcated into two six-bed clusters. This "small-house" model is designed to reduce the sensory overload common in traditional wards.
Rather than a "seclusion room," ARCH designed a specialised suite that includes a private ensuite and direct access to a private courtyard. This allows a patient in high distress to independently "step down" into a secure, low-stimulus space.
A dedicated, secure vehicle arrival point ensures that patients arriving via emergency services or the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) orders can enter with maximum dignity, away from the public gaze of the main Flinders Medical Centre entrance.
Central courtyards create a looping circulation between zones while maximising internal light. Functionally, this enables each pod to be isolated if the need arises, giving the facility flexibility in handling consumers.
Engineering manageability
In line with Jan Golembiewski’s research, ARCH focused on the environment's manageability.
Within the 12 new bedrooms, patients have access to adjustable "soft" lighting. By allowing a patient to dim their own lights or change the colour temperature, the architecture grants a sense of autonomy in a setting where liberty is otherwise restricted. This has been shown to lower cortisol levels and reduce aggression.
ARCH moved beyond the "prison-grade" look of traditional anti-ligature fixtures. We utilised recessed ceiling services and softened joinery profiles that meet strict safety standards while maintaining a residential aesthetic.
Acoustic and sensory specificity
Recognising that acoustics are often a significant contributing influence for patients with sensory processing sensitivities, ARCH implemented specialised wall linings and acoustic ceiling treatments to eliminate the "echo-chamber" effect of clinical environments, which can impact auditory hallucinations and anxiety.
The building’s orientation and the use of high-performance glazing maximises "useful daylight." This helps patients' circadian rhythms normalise, an important step in successful psychiatric stabilisation.
Cultural safety and meaningfulness
The design acknowledges that healing is not an individual act but a communal one. ARCH designed a specific meeting zone capable of hosting large groups. This is a direct response to the needs of First Nations and CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities, where the presence of extended family is a component of the "meaningfulness" of the recovery journey.
By integrating thoughtful acoustic engineering, culturally inclusive spaces, and empowering environmental controls, this facility redefines psychiatric architecture for holistic healing and long-term recovery.
Through the Margaret Tobin Centre PICU project and our broader portfolio, including Fraser Coast Mental Health Unit, Nundah Private Hospital, and the Gold Coast University Hospital Secure Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit, ARCH is closing the gap in mental health commentary, shifting the industry from "buildings that house patients" to "environments that actively heal the mind."
The Margaret Tobin Centre PICU expansion is a physical manifestation of ARCH’s capability to bridge high-level academic research with technical healthcare planning and delivery. By focusing on autonomy, sensory precision, and cultural dignity, the design actively participates in recovery.
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