The New Dunedin Hospital | Project Whakatuputupu, located in Ōtepoti Dunedin, is one of the largest and most significant health infrastructure projects ever undertaken in New Zealand. Designed by HDR in association with Warren and Mahoney, the hospital integrates clinical care with culture, technology, learning and community to create a more connected model of regional healthcare.

As a teaching hospital, regional specialist centre and workplace for more than 3,000 staff, the development supports a comprehensive range of acute, specialist, inpatient and ambulatory services across two purpose-designed buildings: the Outpatient Building and the Acute Services Building. Together, they support patients, whānau and healthcare professionals, providing the flexibility to respond to evolving models of care and the changing needs of the Southern region over the next 40-50 years.

A Hospital Grounded in Place

The name Whakatuputupu, meaning to grow and nurture, reflects the project’s cultural narrative and its aspirations for the future of healthcare in Ōtepoti Dunedin. Working alongside Aukaha and mana whenua, the project team embeds the identity, history and cultural landscape of the region into the design. Every aspect of the design is informed by the need to create clearer patient journeys, support staff and clinical workflows, and connect healthcare more deeply to the people and place it serves. 

Natural light, open spaces, cultural design elements and intuitive wayfinding work together to create a calmer, more human experience of care, helping patients and whānau navigate what can often be an unfamiliar and stressful environment with greater confidence. The architecture responds not only to the complex clinical requirements of a major regional hospital, but also to the emotional realities of receiving and delivering healthcare.

A More Intuitive Experience of Care

Completed in 2026, the five-storey Outpatient Building is the first stage of Project Whakatuputupu to be delivered. Spanning approximately 15,400 square metres, it brings together a broad range of ambulatory services, including outpatient clinics, day procedures and radiology.

Designed as a connected and accessible environment, the building helps patients move more easily between consultation, diagnosis and treatment. Generous clinical spaces sit alongside welcoming public areas, patient drop-off zones and inclusive amenities, while digital wayfinding, self-check-in technology, information displays and connectivity support a more intuitive experience. As the first new facility to open within the wider hospital development, the Outpatient Building establishes the architectural and experiential foundations for the future healthcare precinct.

Supporting Complex Care

The second stage, scheduled for completion in 2031, is the 11-storey, 73,830-square-metre Acute Services Building, which provides the clinical infrastructure required to support 24-hour acute and specialist care. It accommodates an expanded emergency department, medical imaging, operating theatres, a short-stay surgical unit, intensive care and high-dependency services, inpatient wards, and a comprehensive range of medical, surgical, rehabilitation, paediatric and maternal care, mental health services for older adults, and a full range of clinical support services. 

An elevated bridge across St Andrew Street connects the inpatient and outpatient buildings, supporting an integrated model of care across the wider campus. Together, the facilities enable efficient clinical workflows, multidisciplinary care and the capacity to adapt as healthcare needs evolve. 

Adaptability and Evolution

With technology, models of care and community needs continually changing, the New Dunedin Hospital is designed with adaptability in mind. Flexible clinical spaces and capacity for expansion allow the hospital to respond to changing demand and support more efficient and integrated models of care. The design also considers how healthcare may evolve over time, allowing spaces and infrastructure to be adapted without compromising the overall operation of the hospital. This long-term flexibility supports a healthcare environment that can continue to respond to new technologies, clinical practices and models of care well into the future.

Wellbeing and Sustainability

Sustainability and wellbeing are closely connected throughout Project Whakatuputupu. The Outpatient Building is fully electric and targeting a 5-Star Green Star rating, with energy-efficient systems and careful environmental design considered alongside the creation of comfortable, healthy spaces for patients, visitors and staff. Across the wider development, the design balances the technical and operational demands of a major acute hospital with the need to reduce environmental impact and create a resilient healthcare environment for the future.