Safe, modern and purpose-designed, Christchurch Hospital’s Waipapa, Acute Services Building is part of the largest hospital redevelopment in New Zealand and will help accommodate immediate and future critical care demands of the Canterbury community.
The need for new facilities at Christchurch Hospital was identified well before the Canterbury earthquakes. With a steadily growing and aging population, existing facilities would not be able to cope with the region’s future heath demands.

Built to meet these demands, the Waipapa Acute Services Building is part of the government’s $1 billion investment into healthcare facilities for Christchurch.

With the earthquakes causing significant damage to hospital facilities, the redevelopment also became an important Rebuild project – fast-tracked to alleviate the more immediate demand for hospital services and allow earthquake-related repairs and strengthening works to be performed on the hospital site.

The 62’000m2 facility is base-isolated and designed to Importance Level 4 seismic resilience. It houses 12 new operating theatres and procedure rooms (allowing an additional 6,000 surgeries a year); 413 in-patient beds; expanded emergency and radiology departments, a state-of-the-art intensive care unit, a specialised oncology unit, paediatric wards, a haematology ward and a rooftop helipad that will significantly reduce transit times for patients.

Our role extended from contributing to the original redevelopment business case, into concept design, site masterplanning, and detailed site-wide infrastructure reviews and assessments. We also provided AV, communications and security solutions, building services, ICT and helipad planning.

Many of the spaces were developed through intensive consultation and prototyping. The clinically-led design process involved hundreds of healthcare specialists and hospital staff working alongside the project team to deliver this state-of-the-art facility.

62,000 m2

Building size

350+

In-patient ward rooms

IL4 rating

Highly resilient post-disaster

Exterior view of Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building (Waipapa).
View from Helipad on roof of Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building (Waipapa).
Main lobby of Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building (Waipapa).
Staff room at Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building (Waipapa).
Photo of light-filled ward at Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building (Waipapa).
Photo of Treatment Room at Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building (Waipapa).
Photo of light-filled Medical Imaging Room at Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building (Waipapa).
Exterior view of Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building (Waipapa).

Our Team Says

Christchurch Hospital’s Waipapa Building has been a large and complex project started under the uncertainty of the Canterbury earthquake and completed under COVID-19. It hasn't been without its challenges, but we're proud to have played an integral role delivering this important asset to Canterbury, which will serve the community for decades.

Beca Building Services Team

Our Client Says

Throughout the construction process, Beca has provided a core project team from their local Christchurch office supplemented by significant resource from around their New Zealand offices. The resource sharing and application of specialist knowledge across their organisation has been one of the best examples of remote working I have experienced.

Tony Lloyd

Programme Director - Ministry of Health New Zealand

Our People

Mat Lensen

Associate - Mechanical Engineering

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Stuart Smith

Business Director – Health (Buildings)

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