Cabrini Malvern: Designing the Next Era of Healthcare
We share the next chapter of Cabrini Malvern’s redevelopment, delivering expanded clinical services and a more connected hospital campus.
Shaping the Next Era of Cabrini Malvern
HSPC Health Architects is proud to share the latest designs for Cabrini Malvern, the flagship building in Cabrini Health’s transformative Next Era redevelopment and a defining chapter in the evolution of the Malvern campus.
Described by Cabrini Malvern’s Executive Director, Louise Alexander, as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, the project continues a five-year collaboration between HSPC and Cabrini Health, guided by a comprehensive masterplan and strategic rezoning approval completed in 2024. The East Building represents a key milestone in a long-term vision and Cabrini’s enduring commitment to its values of compassion, integrity, respect and courage, delivered through world-class healthcare environments.
HSPC Health Architects is leading this stage of the project in collaboration with Studio Kristen Whittle, uniting expertise in healthcare planning and regenerative design.
A Human Centred Approach to Contemporary Healthcare
The design for the East Building responds to Cabrini’s growing demand for specialised clinical services, particularly in cardiac, orthopaedic and palliative care. The architectural strategy focuses on revitalising, restoring and expanding the hospital’s capacity through an environment that is contemporary, efficient and designed around the wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors, with a human scale that fosters comfort and connection.
Natural light has been used as a primary design tool, shaping the internal experience and bringing a sense of calm and rhythm to the clinical environment. Clear sightlines, framed views and soft daylight transitions contribute to an intuitive wayfinding experience and promote a sense of orientation and ease for patients, staff and visitors alike.
Materiality is approached with warmth and tactility, balancing the technical precision of healthcare infrastructure with moments of softness and care. Courtyards, terraces and transparent circulation spaces invite light deep into the plan, fostering visual connection, emotional comfort and biophilic design principles.
"This redevelopment will consolidate Cabrini Malvern into a larger, better organised civic campus that proudly serves Melbourne’s community long into the future."
- Rob Page, Design Director. HSPC Health Architects -
Designing Spaces That Support Comfort and Connection
Beyond the new East Building, the redevelopment transforms the hospital’s public realm, creating a more connected and welcoming campus experience. At its centre, a new main foyer forms the “hospital heart”, linking the existing hospital with the new expansion and connecting to vibrant public forecourt featuring a satellite cafe and pharmacy, a dedicated emergency department drop off, and a separate hospital drop off, carefully redesigned to improve traffic flow. Together, these interventions strengthen site legibility and safety, enhance wayfinding and reinforce the campus as a cohesive, accessible and inviting civic precinct.
The design builds on HSPC’s long-term partnership with Cabrini Health, introducing a contextually responsive architectural language that complements and enhances the earlier stages of the campus redevelopment. The project is carefully staged to minimise operational disruption, prioritising safety while enabling Cabrini to continue delivering world class care throughout construction.
"We believe that health buildings provide designers with the most important role in architecture, that of looking after people in their moment of greatest need. In the most recent era through the Gandel Wing Redevelopment, CabriniHealth has reiterated its sincere commitment to providing exemplary design outcomes for its health facilities.”
- Kristen Whittle, Design Director. Studio Kristen Whittle -
“This is an incredible opportunity to shape a facility that sets new benchmarks in healthcare design, one that expands on Cabrini’s legacy of architectural excellence and responds to the evolving needs of patients, clinicians and the wider community.”
- Stephen Sinclair, Director. HSPC Health Architects -
A New Benchmark for Healthcare Design
As Cabrini continues to expand its capacity and capabilities, the East Building represents both a continuation and a reinvention, an opportunity to redefine how light, materiality and spatial planning can elevate healthcare environments. For HSPC, the project reflects an enduring belief that good design is integral to healing, and that architecture can profoundly shape the experience of care, creating environments that are uplifting, functional and deeply human.
