Construction firm appointed to build new Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery

Pictured: ACMD Project Director Andrew Crettenden (right) with Kane Senior Project Manager, Jamie Rigg, at the Aikenhead building site.

Kane Constructions has been awarded the contract to build the new $206 million Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, in Fitzroy.

The multi-award-winning commercial builder was shortlisted for the landmark project earlier this year and was recently selected to carry out the Main Works phase by a formal panel of representatives from ACMD partners, St Vincent’s and the Victorian Health Building Authority.

This next milestone stage involves finalising the design work and construction of the new 11-storey ACMD facility – Australia’s first collaborative, biomedical engineering research centre located on a hospital campus.

ACMD harnesses the strength of collaboration, bringing together engineers, scientists and clinicians to tackle complex medical challenges.

“The Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery will advance our world class medical research capabilities and generate life-changing breakthroughs – I look forward to it rising up into Melbourne’s skyline,” said Jaala Pulford, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy.

Operating in a modified form since 2016 from the Clinical Sciences Building at St Vincent’s, the new building will enable the translational research work that is currently being undertaken in this space to grow and continue on a larger scale. It will see ACMD become a global heart for medical innovation.

“We are proud to be working with Kane Constructions on this next key stage of the ACMD project and excited to see our vision become reality, as the new home of ACMD starts to firmly take shape,” said Andrew Crettenden, ACMD Project Director.

Kane Constructions is also leading the Early Works phase of the project, which commenced in 2021. This stage has included extensive site preparation and demolition of the Hospital’s Aikenhead Wing, once used as live-in accommodation for trainee nurses.

Construction of the new ACMD building is expected to start in January 2023 and is scheduled for completion towards the end of 2024.

Bold vision embraced

Specialised 3D printing laboratories; a human kinetics lab; insulated rooms that enable the development of sensitive hearing and vision technologies; engineering workshops to produce medical device prototypes and robotics that can be used to fast-track clinical trials; an education centre with multiple seminar and tutorial rooms, a clinical simulation laboratory, and a large lecture theatre extending over two levels will form part of the new purpose-designed Centre.

“The well-thought-out contemporary design provides an ideal environment that embraces our vision to be forward-thinking world leaders in health, exploring new horizons in research and medtech to help shape bold solutions for chronic illnesses,” said Andrew Crettenden.

The building’s south and west-facing facades will be comprised of glass and metal panels that cleverly reference crystalline structures associated with ACMD biomedical research. A full-height atrium is another eye-catching design element.

Learn more about ACMD.

Pictured below: An artistic render of the new ACMD building.