Victoria University Interprofessional Health Clinic

Project summary

Working with Victoria University, Touch Projects Senior Project Manager Ali Yekenkurul took on the management of their Student-Led Interprofessional Health Clinic project. This project provides a new health service in Werribee to support and add value to the current health services available in the western suburbs of Melbourne. 

The project not only reflects a unique health service offering but also provides a sense of community beyond the traditional health facility and a state-of-the-art learning environment for students. The project successfully created a unique and innovative healthcare facility that supports interprofessional education and holistic healthcare. 

…what Ali did on this project

Ali was responsible for managing the construction of the Student-Led Interprofessional Health Clinic at Victoria University’s Werribee Campus. 

The project aimed to create a unique healthcare facility that promotes interprofessional education and holistic healthcare within the outer suburb community of Werribee. 

The clinic’s design was influenced by an innovative approach to healthcare, with the client as the central focus. Instead of meeting with individual health experts for each health issue, clients meet with the lead member of an interprofessional team who collaborates with the team to determine a tailored plan of treatments or consults in a range of areas to meet the client’s holistic needs. 

The clinic features “Interprofessional (IP) pods,” where the health team can watch and review the lead member’s consultation with the patient via telepresence, ensuring the value of multiple team members providing specialist advice to shape the overall treatment plan. The clinic teams consist of senior students from Victoria University working together with The University of Melbourne, the University of Notre Dame, and the Kangan Institute of TAFE under the supervision of expert and registered health practitioners. 

To achieve the complexity required, the clinic includes a range of spaces, including a teaching kitchen for healthy food preparation and an active living laboratory where clients receive rehabilitation assistance to maximize the quality of movement. 

The architecture of the building references the surrounding landscape of Werribee. The building forms a large U shape around a central spine of landscaping, with the sculptural profile of the building and vertical sloping windows inspired by the verticality of the gorge rocks and cliffs. The landscaping is brought into the heart of the building, creating a visual amenity and release for visitors and staff.