Rapid delivery of Australian COVID-19 Surge Centre

Background

In early 2020, COVID-19 cases in Australia were rising rapidly. The local government in Canberra engaged Aspen Medical to design, build and operate a 51-bed COVID-19 Surge Centre. The facility needed to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for pandemic care, with practical completion due on 15 May 2020—just 44 days after the design brief was confirmed.

When the project commenced, little was known about COVID-19. A tailored facility was required to address the virus’s unique transmission risks. Aspen Medical’s infectious disease experts, with experience from the Ebola crisis in Africa, were tasked with designing a mechanical and operational response to prevent cross-contamination, protect staff and allow flexible patient capacity.

The brief called for:

• 6 resuscitation bays, 44 patient bays and 1 palliative care room
• 24/7 operational capability
• compliance with WHO Sudden Acute Respiratory Infection Treatment Centre guidelines.

Approach

The facility was delivered using an accelerated program—seven days for design and 37 days for construction. All materials and equipment were sourced locally or from off-the-shelf suppliers to meet the tight timeframe and eliminate long-lead delays.

Key design features included:

• positive pressure zones in staff areas to keep infection out
• separate travel routes for patients and staff
• modular bay groupings to enable scalable capacity
• fully integrated patient service panels, treatment areas and administration spaces.

Strong collaboration with local government and contractors ensured rapid decision-making and continuous progress.

Results

• The COVID-19 Surge Centre was completed and commissioned on time, within 44 days of design commencement.
• The facility met WHO specifications for pandemic response healthcare.
• Operational readiness was achieved for 24/7 care of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients.

Outcome

The project demonstrated Aspen Medical’s ability to rapidly deliver high-quality healthcare infrastructure in crisis conditions. The facility’s design and build program became a benchmark for accelerated healthcare construction in Australia, proving that robust infection control, staff safety, and flexible capacity can be achieved under extreme time constraints.