GenesisCare Clinics

Due to our strong track record in modular design and delivery, Hutchinson Builders was hand-picked to deliver two state-of-the-art cancer centres to provide high quality radiation therapy to Wide Bay oncology patients.

The two centres were delivered in parallel at the Mater Miseridordiae Hospital in Bundaberg, and St Stephen’s Hospital in Hervey Bay. Construction was conducted while both hospitals remained fully operational. The Hervey Bay facility was an extension of the existing building, requiring some structural modification, as well as digging out 400ml of ground to enable the installation of the modules at floor level so that it was seamless with the rest of the hospital.

Sophisticated cancer treatment centres of this type would normally take anywhere from 12 up to 24 months to complete. Hutchies was able to deliver both facilities in four months. This was largely due to the modular design, as well as putting in place an expedited schedule throughout the entire project to ensure GenesisCare would be ready to start delivering services within the prescribed timeline.

Once the 31 modules were constructed in our modular facility in Yatala, they were transport to Bundaberg and Hervey Bay via a convoy of semi-trailers. The Bundaberg centre is the larger of the two, incorporating 22 modules, which were installed in a single day.

Due to the weight of the specialist equipment, the modular design required modification of the floor load, incorporating a full concrete slab. This was the first time we had ever designed modular facilities with a full slab, and while we had to modify lifting techniques to accommodate the weight when they were position on site, this innovation was executed smoothly. Hutchies also built the customised radiation ‘bunkers’ that form part of the facilities. With floors, walls and ceilings built from 1m thick concrete, the bunkers weighed in at 1,200T and also required specialised lifting techniques to install.

To deliver in such a tight timeframe required a huge collaborative effort between Hutchies, GenesisCare and the respective hospitals, with teams working extended hours to ensure deadlines were met. Both facilities were operational and treating patients within a week of installation and commissioning.