Medical services for critically ill children are greatly improved with the development of a dedicated paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the John Hunter Hospital; a tertiary referral paediatric hospital which provides complex medical, surgical, major trauma and neonatal care services.  Connection to the existing ICU is via a bridge linking across a light court which maintains natural light to existing ICU rooms.  This project provides twelve specialist paediatric care beds with support services.  The top level provides the critical care administration supporting ICU and PICU while the  lower level provides for a future critical care unit linked to both the emergency and imaging departments.

Having a sick child requiring critical care is a difficult time for parents and families, ARCH design creates a high quality calm, patient centred environment for healing to support children and families, with the privacy essential to the provision of contemporary, equitable care.  The project meets national standards for safe therapeutic environments for the care of very sick children and young people.

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