Bethesda Health Care
Client: Bethesda Health Care
Location: Cockburn, WA / Whadjuk Noongar Country
The delivery of mental health care environments requires a sensitive balance, combining safety, clinical functionality, and patient dignity. For the new five-storey Cockburn Mental Health Service facility, the goal was to deliver a 75-bed psychiatric day hospital that would not only meet complex healthcare compliance requirements, but also enable compassionate, efficient care.
The project needed integrated engineering systems that could support daytime consulting and treatment services with 24/7 residential accommodation operations, maintain high standards of security and redundancy, and deliver long-term energy performance, all within a compact greenfield footprint.
Lucid was engaged from schematic design onwards to provide full multidisciplinary building services engineering. Our Perth-based team led the design across mechanical, electrical, fire services, fire safety, hydraulic, and vertical transportation services, collaborating closely with project stakeholders through workshops and technical papers to test options and de-risk delivery.
A key focus was integrating secure systems that protect occupants while enabling safety and accessibility, particularly in day treatment zones. We prioritised infrastructure resilience, designing for operational continuity of services aligning with the Western Australian Health Facility Guidelines (WAHFG), requiring review and approval through the Licencing and Regulatory Accreditation Unit (LARU).
Lucid delivered a comprehensive and integrated design across all critical services, including:
Mental health infrastructure should do more than meet minimum standards, it should elevate the care experience for every patient, staff member, and visitor. Lucid’s role in the Cockburn Mental Health Service reflects our broader purpose: designing smarter systems that contribute to wellbeing, reduce environmental impact, and make better healthcare more accessible and sustainable.
