Secure Mental Health Unit
Risdon Prison, Tasmania
Designed and documented in conjunction with PSC Brisbane and procured under John Holland/Fairbrother as construction managers, the Risdon Prison Secure Mental Health Unit project provided great challenges in designing a residential, home-like environment while recognising issues of security, robustness, ongoing maintenance, access and resident safety and privacy.
The design recognises resident type and behaviour, flow patterns for staff and residents, accommodation for challenging behaviour, recreation and socialising in a controlled environment.
Welcoming and safe external areas and simple design principles such as long distance views lessen the sense of enclosure.
The design and construct process included prototyping construction elements and whole rooms for testing to destruction.
