At the Taranaki Health Foundation, we talk a lot about Taranaki deserving the best healthcare and not settling for the standard, but what does that actually mean?
The Renal Unit, Te Huhi Raupō, at Taranaki Base Hospital is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when we don't just settle for the standard. The unit is designed to feel less like a clinical space and give patients a warm and inviting place to receive their treatment. And this has be recognised on the international stage, having won the following awards for design, architecture and sustainability:
- Healthcare Environment Awards winner
- Excellence in both the Civic, Health & Arts category and the Green Building category at the New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards.
- Winner of the public architecture category at the 2023 Western Architecture Awards
- Winner of the prestigious Healthcare Design (under 25,000m2) trophy in the European Healthcare Design Awards 2023.
- Highly commended in the Design for Health & Wellness category at the European HealthcareDesign Awards 2023.
- Winner of a Public Architecture Award at the Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Western Award
Community is the key
Healthcare facilities like this don't just happen. They are achievable because of the incredible support we receive from businesses and the community in the region. Taranaki crafted sheet metal engineers Rivet Ltd have been a long-time supporter of the Taranaki Health Foundation, and they didn't hesitate to become involved in this project.
“Rivet has been involved with the Foundation since 2016, first involved with the mobility garden and now this latest project here at the renal unit,” says Steve Scott, Rivet Ltd Managing Director. “We always look to support things that support families and our community."
“We get involved very early on. The artists knew what they wanted, they wanted to use a material that was particular to Taranaki and to the hospital, of course that’s stainless steel."
Rivet Ltd donated all the artistic steelwork in Te Huhi Raupō as an in-kind donation. In-kind donations like this are where a real difference can be made and where we move from having standard healthcare facilities to the best.
“A dollar raised or a dollar saved has the same benefit,” says Adrian Sole, General Manager, Taranaki Health Foundation. “Some of the nice finer details that make a big difference to staff wellbeing and patient enjoyment get cut because the funds have to go into functional stuff.”
This is just the beginning
Te Huhi Raupō is a blueprint for the future of healthcare services in Taranaki. The New East Wing Building and the Taranaki Cancer Care Centre are both scheduled to be opened in 2025. Both of these buildings aim to follow in the footsteps of the Renal Unit, providing a holistic approach to patient care whilst being climate-conscious and shifting the expectations of what is achievable.
Adrian says Taranaki Health Foundation partners have been giving in-kind donations since 2013. "If you’re interested in following in the footsteps of Rivet and you’ve got goods or services, it could be electrical, plumbing, painting, fabrication, or you’ve got a new product that might be the right fit and you’d like to launch it, or you just want to understand more about how you could fit in, it could even be through volunteering, give me or the team a call and we’ll have a coffee, have a chat and see how it would work for you.”
“It’s about all of us pitching in, helping clients, just having a go and making a difference,” Steve says.
If you would like to know more about how you, or your business can be involved in making a difference where it matters most, contact our Donor Relationship Managers:
Heather Kadlec
Email me
027 447 4659
Grant Carter
Email me
027 248 4044