Medical Centre Design Victoria | Approved Planning Permit

Designing a Modern Medical Centre in Victoria: Planning, Compliance and Cost Insights.

The subject site comprises 2000 sqm allotment with frontage to a Transport Zone (previously termed Road Zone), gently falling from the front to the rear of the property. This slope offers practical benefits for access, drainage, and discreet rear-service arrangements within a medical facility.

Council approved a substantial medical centre for multiple practitioners, including Consulting specialists, with the ground floor fully set up for day surgeries. The first floor has been designed to operate as either one large tenancy or two independent tenancies, supporting flexibility for future occupants.

Approved Built Form and Planning Context

The site zoning allows a more intensive built form while still responding to the surrounding neighbourhood. Each floor exceeds 400sqm, creating enough area for efficient circulation, compliant room sizes, and future adaptability.

Council required the building to present a residential character to the street, reducing the visual bulk typically associated with a medical building. The design response includes:

• A façade that blends with the local residential context.

• Parking located at the rear of the site.

• Two accessible parking spaces provided.

• Clear separation between public entry, clinical use, and service access.

This approach satisfies planning expectations while supporting the operational needs of a modern healthcare facility.

Ground Floor Surgery Layout

The ground floor is configured as a dedicated day surgery level. It includes two procedure rooms, sized to accommodate surgical workflow, equipment placement, and staff movement.

Supporting rooms include:

• Independent anaesthetic rooms.

• Sterilisation rooms.

• Setup and preparation rooms.

• Recovery rooms positioned for post-operative observation.

• Separate patient entry and exit points to improve privacy and infection control.

Each surgery and supporting clinical zone is serviced by separate HVAC systems. This allows better environmental control, pressure management, and infection-control performance across the clinical areas.

First Floor Tenancy Options

The first floor provides over 400sqm of flexible accommodation.

This flexibility makes the building suitable for a range of users, including specialist consulting rooms, allied health practices, or a combination of medical and support services.

Potential uses include:

Visiting specialist suites.

Consulting rooms.

Allied health rooms.

Patient Flow and Operations

Operational efficiency is central to the design. Separate patient entry and exit points reduce congestion and improve privacy, while rear parking keeps vehicles away from the street frontage.

Recovery areas are placed to support safe post-operative monitoring, and service functions are arranged to minimise cross-traffic with patients. This type of layout improves both clinical performance and the patient experience.

Estimated Costs in AUD, 2026

If the project was to be built in 2026, we would estimate ballpark numbers as follows:

For Victoria in 2026, a ballpark cost range (pre detailed documentation) for a medical centre of this type could be as follows:

Base building works

Medical-grade commercial construction: AUD 3,200 to AUD 4,800 per sqm.

This gives a rough construction range of AUD 2.6 million to AUD 4.1 million.

Specialist day surgery fit-out

Operating/procedure rooms: AUD 160,000 to AUD 240,000 each.

Anaesthetic rooms: AUD 100,000 to AUD 160,000 each.

Sterilisation room and support fit-out: AUD 180,000 to AUD 300,000.

Mechanical and HVAC

Separate medical HVAC systems with filtration and zoning: AUD 350,000 to AUD 700,000.

This depends on redundancy, pressure control, and the standard of infection-control performance required.

Medical equipment allowance

Day surgery rooms: AUD 500,000 to AUD 1.0 million, depending on specialty and equipment standard.

External works and parking

Rear parking, drainage, landscaping, and access works: AUD 150,000 to AUD 300,000.

Please note these costs are high level estimates only pre detailed documentation and subject to change.

Development Considerations

A project of this type should also account for:

Australian health facility requirements and clinical planning standards.

Acoustic separation between treatment, recovery, and public areas.

Waste management and clinical disposal systems.

Accessibility compliance and universal design.

Future adaptability for specialist or multi-practitioner use.

This approved medical centre is a good example of how a higher-intensity health use can be integrated into a residential context without compromising planning outcomes or operational performance. The design supports both specialist day surgery functions and flexible future tenancy use, which strengthens long-term viability.

Contact Swarup for your next project.