We’re contributing to the expansion of Thomas Embling Hospital, Victoria’s principal secure forensic mental health facility. This major redevelopment adds 82 new secure beds, including a 34-bed women's precinct, a 48-bed medium-security men's unit, and supporting infrastructure such as clinical spaces, horticultural workshops, carparking, and a new public entry complex.
Project
Thomas Embling Forensic Hospital
Client
Guymer Bailey Architects
Collaborators
Location
Size
Project Build Cost
Focus
Wayfinding
Designing for a forensic environment requires far more than adapting a standard hospital template. It demands a deep understanding of secure mental health operations—how staff, patients, and visitors move differently through the site; what safety protocols need to be built into every element; and how therapeutic intent must coexist with strict risk management.
The signage and wayfinding approach reflects this. There are no bolted signs or standalone elements. Instead, almost all directional information is directly applied to walls and floors. This method avoids ligature risks, vandalism, and tampering while still delivering clear, intuitive guidance across the facility. The graphics are durable, hygienic, and easy to maintain—and are integrated into the architectural finishes in a way that supports orientation and reduces anxiety.
Our work sits alongside a broader co-design process, which included clinicians, operations staff, First Nations representatives, and people with lived experience of the mental health system. Their insight shaped how safety, dignity, clarity, and independence were prioritised in both the architecture and the wayfinding strategy.
Completion is expected end 2025, and we continue to support the construction and handover stages with review and implementation input.
