An inclusive, homelike environment for eating disorder recovery.
Ngamai Wilam is a residential treatment centre for eating disorders, located in Armadale. Operated by Alfred Health, it is the first publicly funded facility of its kind in Victoria. The facility will provide 24/7 support for Victorians over the age of 18 who are living with an eating disorder.
Architecture & Access were engaged by NTC Architects, the principal consultants, to provide accessibility advice throughout all project phases – from schematic design through to construction. NTC Architects delivered the project alongside design architects BG Architecture, Newpol Construction (builders), and Capital Insight (project management).
The centre will deliver a new ‘stepped model of care’ for eating disorders to support the objectives of the Victorian Eating Disorders Strategy 2024-2031. The stepped model of care has been co-designed with people with lived experience of eating disorders, alongside families, carers, health professionals and advocacy groups. This model of care shifts the focus from acute services to early intervention and community-based treatment that is tailored to each individual’s needs and circumstances. Admissions to the centre are voluntary, with treatment programs averaging 12 weeks and a minimum 4 week stay.
The 12-bed facility includes two fully accessible rooms with ensuites along with spaces for individual and group therapies, low stimulation areas, communal lounges, spaces to host visitors, a resident-use kitchen and commercial kitchen, staff offices, and external courtyards.
Alfred Health and the design team aimed to create a residential environment that supports patient wellbeing and the principles of the stepped model of care. To achieve this, warm colours and finishes, such as timber and rugs, along with abundant natural light were incorporated to foster a homelike, rather than clinical, atmosphere.
Architecture & Access consulted with the design team to integrate accessibility into the residential environment. Built environment cues and alternatives to clinical fixtures, such as tactile ground surface indicators and automated doors, maintain the homelike atmosphere without compromising accessibility, to allow people with disabilities to navigate the building independently and safely.
To further enhance Ngamai Wilams inclusive environment, all gender signage and sanitary facilities have been provided to support patients, staff and visitors of all gender identities.
Accessibility Features of Images:
- Feature image: Patient Kitchen – The open-plan patient-use kitchen and communal dining area are central to creating homelike atmosphere within the treatment centre.
- Image 2. Upstairs Lounge – Lounge areas are located near the bedrooms on the First Floor, offering residents smaller, more intimate spaces as an alternative to the main living area on the Ground Floor. The design features homelike furnishings and a warm colour palette. All of the resident bedrooms are required to achieve a minimum 30% luminance contrast to assist users with a vision impairment or sensory disability to identify the door. The bedroom door in the background meets the requirements of AS1428.1 without compromising the residential aesthetic of the facility.
Photographer credit: Dianna Snape
