Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation Project, Metford, New South Wales, Australia: First Look

The 86,000-square-foot inpatient facility embraces culturally significant design features, natural materials, and open layouts to deliver a new home for mental health services.

Published: August 4, 2025Posted by Tracey Walker

Courtesy of Bates Smart

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Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation Project, Metford, New South Wales, Australia

Located on Wonnarua Country, Aboriginal land in regional New South Wales, Australia, the Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation project will restore a brownfield site into a new nature-connected environment for healing and recovery.

The NSW Government is investing in the Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation Project as part of the Statewide Mental Health Infrastructure Program, delivered in partnership with Health Infrastructure NSW and Hunter New England Local Health District.

Expected to open in 2027, the project comprises 64 private patient rooms in various configurations, designed to support long-term rehabilitation. Long-term rehabilitation includes active mental health therapies alongside daily living activities that promote independence, such as cooking and self-care.

Maximizing site features

Bates Smart (Sydney), the architect and interior design firm on the project, designed the campus to integrate passively with its landscape setting—between escarpment and wetland—offering visual and physical connection to nature throughout the facility.

A rocky escarpment lies to the south and a wetland to the north, connecting to the Hunter River. Organized along a ridgeline, the 2-story building maximizes on-grade courtyard access and minimizes perceived building scale.

Behavior health design strategies

The design counters institutional stereotypes by embracing residential forms, warm natural materials, and open, non-clinical spaces.

Long, low-pitched roofs and fine fenestration on the exterior echo the treetops and reflect a local residential vernacular. Courtyards embedded within building wings reduce the need for visible high fences, minimizing overt security infrastructure. The visually open lobby features generous views of the landscape, creating a welcoming public-facing space.

Exterior design strategies

The primary façade material is a sandstone-toned clay brick, selected to reflect the site’s geology. This brick extends into the lobby, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. Timber-looking products in light oak tones are used for ceilings, soffits, and casework to establish a warm, nature-inspired atmosphere. Bright colors are applied selectively to emphasize key elements, such as the central circulation stair and residential casework pieces.

Cultural design features at Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation

Located on Wonnarua Country (the traditional lands of the Wonnarua people, an Aboriginal Australian group located in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales), the project involved a co-design and consultation process with local community members and stakeholders.

Culturally significant design features include integrated walking tracks and outdoor spaces that foster connection with the land, framed landscape views from within the building, and opportunities for engagement with art through commissioned works and a dedicated arts studio.

Passive design principles underpin the architecture: generous eaves provide solar protection, while rainwater is harvested for gardens co-managed by users. The site’s ecological rehabilitation includes a bio-retention basin that supports flood resilience.