The Kolling building is currently the largest and
most up-to-date structure housing research and education facilities on a
hospital site anywhere in Australia.
Part of the $950
million redevelopment of the Royal North Shore Hospital the
building is designed to provide an above-ground connection to the
clinical treatment areas of the future acute hospital, with allowance
for a bridge link at level 5. The ground floor opens on to an outdoor
plaza which will eventually provide a ground level public space for
movement around the rebuilt Hospital campus.
Click here
for a tour of the new Royal North Shore Hospital & Community
Services Project
A
particularly advanced feature of the Kolling Building is the
sophisticated IT and audiovisual installation, allowing for
videoconferencing in most of the larger teaching spaces, as well as some
of the meeting rooms. This will allow great flexibility for conducting
educational sessions and administrative meetings within the University,
across the Northern Sydney Central Coast Area, and to interstate and
international venues.
The ground floor, called level 4 to align
with the corresponding level of the future hospital, houses the Douglas Piper Library, as well as student
facilities, and accommodation for the Medical Illustrations Department
and the support staff for audiovisual and information technology
services. A spacious foyer contains a reception desk and information
station.
The first floor (level 5) features the teaching spaces shared by
key user groups, and includes:
The second floor (level 6) is totally
occupied by the Sydney Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre,
rehousing and amalgamating the former Northern Clinical Skills Centre
and the Sydney Medical Simulation Centre. This state-of-the-art facility
for clinical skills and procedural training incorporates:
a 90
sqm training lab, with teaching table monitored by closed-circuit
video, and 10 laparoscopic towers
- 5 skills laboratories, each 30-55
sqm
- 2 immersive learning suites,
providing high-fidelity simulations of operating theatre and emergency
room environments
- a communication skills room
- a debriefing room
- seminar rooms
- staff offices
extensive
audiovisual and videoconferencing facilities
The third floor (level 7) provides
accommodation for the administrative staff of the Northern Clinical
School and the Area’s Organisational Education and Learning unit. The
floor also houses the Pam McLean Centre, specialising in teaching
clinical communication skills, a boardroom, and offices for the key academics
overseeing the research and education programs in the building.
The upper levels (levels 8 to
13) house laboratory research. Each level is designed
and configured similarly, incorporating:
over 100 metres of bench space for general
laboratory procedures.
- on the southern
side, separate laboratories housing specialised equipment.
- on the northern side, office space and
accommodation for heads of research groups, postdoctoral scientists,
research assistants and postgraduate research students.
Kolling
Foundation offices are located on Level 12 and there is a boardroom on
Level 13 with views across Sydney Harbour.
Level 14
is vacant. Future development is dependant upon government and
community support.
