Life Hospital (St. Georges)
Life Healthcare is one of the largest private hospital groups globally and is a leading provider of quality healthcare, offering superb facilities and expertise with a unique focus on health and care giving patients a more meaningful life. Focusing on acute hospital care, Life Healthcare has one of the broadest geographical spreads of acute care facilities and same day surgical centres in South Africa.
In a strategic move to strengthen their position as one of the principal private healthcare facilities in the Eastern Cape, Life St. Georges has undertaken a massive redevelopment project that combines upgrades to existing structures as well as newly constructed buildings.
Granted a license for further hospital development by the Provincial Health Department, the redevelopment included 50 ward beds; a new Cardiac unit and the expansion of the hospital’s existing theatre unit along with the administrative, catering and parking facilities.
Life Healthcare St. George’s medical facility, in the heart of Port Elizabeth, has undergone massive redevelopment to significantly upgrade the facilities and capacity of the hospital.
The approximately 4000m2 development comprises two primary components, alteration and additions to the existing building as well as a new multi-story parking facility and ward block linked back to the original building with a bridge element over the primary access roadway.
The bi-level bridge element is a bold solution that arose from the need to access the only undeveloped portion of the site and link it to the rest of the hospital without compromising the vehicular access requirements to the rear portion of the site beyond.
With regards to the external finishes, the material selection was derived from the existing structure with extensive use of facebrick interspersed with painted plaster. Being a hospital, the general internal finishes are characterized by vinyl sheet flooring, bump rails and hard-wearing paint finishes, however the non-clinical public areas of the hospital such as the reception area, for example, exude a more hotel-like approach, featuring porcelain tiles, carpet, natural timber and stonework.
The new structure has been designed to accommodate a further level in anticipation of subsequent phases. The general form of the building was mostly influenced by the functionality and space requirements of the accommodation as well as the configuration of the existing buildings.
Major challenges reported by the professionals included the logistics of constructing a new building while the existing 250-bed facility continued to function, while accommodating existing structural and service constrains also required significant design consideration.
The first phase of the project was completed in November 2009, with another phase including the construction of additional accommodation across the full length of the new parking decks planned for the future. The new developments will significantly add to the medical capabilities of the area, thus furthering Life Healthcare’s overall objectives.
PROJECT TEAM
| Project Manager | Brinkman Ndayi Mcall |
Principal Agent |
Brinkman Ndayi Mcall |
Architect |
Brinkman Ndayi Mcall |
Quantity Surveyor |
Mokate Monk & Du Plessis in association with Ted Healy |
Structural Engineer |
Gibb East London |
Electrical Engineer |
CA Du Toit (Eastern Cape) Pty Ltd |
Medical Gass |
CA Du Toit (Eastern Cape) Pty Ltd |
Civil Engineer |
Gibb Port Elizabeth |
Contractor |
Gordon Verhoef & Krause |
Health & Safety |
Tabisa Training& Management Services |
