Footscray Hospital Becomes Australia's First WELL Certified Hospital

(Melbourne, Australia, October 15, 2026) Footscray Hospital has achieved WELL Core Certification Gold under the WELL Building Standard, becoming Australia’s first WELL Certified hospital and one of only 15 hospitals globally to achieve such recognition. The achievement establishes a new benchmark for Australian healthcare infrastructure and demonstrates how hospitals can integrate patient well-being, staff experience and environmental performance into a single design strategy.

Delivered as a public-private partnership by Plenary Health consortium, in partnership with the Victorian government and Western Health, the new Footscray Hospital opened in February 2026 and is one of Victoria’s largest ever health infrastructure projects. The new hospital is a major teaching hospital responsible for providing acute general medical and surgical, intensive and coronary care, subspecialty medicine, surgical services, mental health and related clinical support. Once fully operational, the 1.94 million square feet facility provides more than 500 in-patient beds and will enable around 20,000 additional people to be seen by the emergency department each year.

The WELL Building Standard developed by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is the leading global certification system focused on health and well-being outcomes in buildings. Achieving WELL Certification requires extensive documentation, independent review and performance testing to verify that a building is delivering measurable outcomes for occupants. For healthcare facilities, the framework provides a verified approach backed by science to creating environments that support patient recovery, staff well-being and positive visitor experiences.

At Footscray Hospital, WELL principles have been embedded throughout the design and delivery of the facility. Enhanced ventilation and rigorous air and water quality testing have been implemented to prevent pollutants moving between areas. Designated quiet areas for staff and more than 20,000 sqm of landscaped spaces, terraces, green roofs and courtyard help create an environment designed to support health and well-being for healthcare workers, patients and visitors. More than 320 trees, 59,000 plants and over 80 community-sourced artworks have been integrated into the project, helping create calming surroundings that strengthens connection to nature and place.

Plenary Health Chief Operating Officer Chris Clifton said the certification reflected the consortium’s commitment to delivering infrastructure that creates a legacy for the local community.

“Achieving WELL Core Certification Gold is a significant achievement for the project, demonstrating how the hospital’s award-winning design supports health and wellbeing outcomes for patients, staff, visitors and the western suburbs community.”

“Footscray Hospital has redefined what is possible for hospitals in Australia and beyond,” said Jack Noonan, Senior Vice President and Head of APAC at IWBI. “By using WELL to embed health and well-being into a complex clinical environment, this project demonstrates that prioritizing human health drives operational excellence, and elevates care for patients and healthcare workers alike. With this achievement, Footscray Hospital reaffirms Victoria at the forefront of the healthy building movement, setting a new benchmark for future healthcare developments and public infrastructure worldwide."

The WELL Certification complements the hospital’s broader sustainability ambitions, which are embedded throughout the facility’s design and operation. These include more than 1,500 solar panels covering 60% of the roof area, a large-scale rainwater harvesting system that enables 90% of roof-collected rainwater to be reused for cooling, irrigation and toilet flushing, and a high-performance façade that reduces heating and cooling demand.

The facility has achieved a 5 Star Green Star Design & As Built v1.3 rating, recognizing excellence in sustainable building design and construction.

Cundall supported the project from planning through to completion, developing the sustainability strategy and administering both the WELL and Green Star certification processes.

“One of the biggest challenges was embedding wellbeing outcomes into a highly complex healthcare environment without compromising clinical requirements or operational performance,” said Hannah Blossom, Director of Sustainability at Cundall. “Achieving WELL Certification required close collaboration across the project team, with well-being
considerations integrated throughout the design, construction and delivery process. Footscray Hospital demonstrates that wellbeing, sustainability and clinical excellence are mutually reinforcing objectives, establishing a new benchmark for future healthcare projects across Australia.”

The achievement was formally recognized at a WELL plaque presentation ceremony held at Footscray Hospital on October 14, 2026.

About Plenary Health:
Plenary Health is the consortium delivering the new Footscray Hospital in partnership with the Victorian Government and Western Health. Plenary is an independent investor, developer and manager of infrastructure and real assets, specializing in public-private partnerships, precinct developments and community infrastructure. Established in Australia in 2004, it has expanded to become one of the leadind financiers, developers and managers in its markets with assets under management worth more than $90 billion across Australia, the Middle East, the UK and North America. For more information visit Plenary’s website, LinkedIn or Instagram.

About Cundall:
Cundall is an international multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with over 1,300 staff in 29 locations around the globe. Established in 1976, Cundall’s engineering expertise, coupled with creativity, innovation and a deep-rooted understanding of people and communities, has allowed us to develop the best possible solutions for our clients’ projects for nearly 50 years.
Sustainability is integral to our approach. We provide our clients with practical advice and solutions, which reduce the environmental impact of developments, provide better spaces for people and add value for the wider community.
We always strive to invent new ways to create a more sustainable future for the built environment and back our ideas with action. In 2023, we have set ourselves an ambitious goal; by the end of this decade, all our projects will meet our zero carbon design criteria aligned with science-based targets. For more information about Cundall, please go to www.cundall.com. Alternatively, you can find us on Instagram or LinkedIn.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

Media contact:
media@wellcertified.com
For Cundall, Brooke Penman: b.penman@cundall.com