In the heart of Randwick’s Health & Innovation Precinct, a quiet revolution is taking shape. The Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre (MCCCC) is transforming cancer treatment for our kids through innovative laboratory design. 

A first for Australia, this groundbreaking facility within the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, challenges conventional thinking with its ‘sustainability sandwich’ approach – a spatial solution where research laboratories nestle between clinical spaces both vertically and horizontally – creating a seamless flow between the research bench and patient bedside.

MCCCC has been designed by Billard Leece Partnership (BLP), which celebrates 30 years of practice in 2025, with Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and NSW Health Infrastructure.

One of the newly constructed laboratories. Photo: BLP

Breaking the hospital-lab barrier

For decades, research laboratories and patient care facilities have existed as separate entities, often in different buildings and usually a fair distance apart. The MCCCC shifts this with a simple yet profound question: What if the barrier between research and treatment disappeared?

“We’re literally placing laboratories 50 metres from patient beds and clinical spaces,” explains BLP principal and science and technology lead Bettina Bartos. “This isn’t just spatial efficiency – it’s a total rethink of how medical research and innovation happens.”

Bettina Bartos and Kiri Collins in one of the newly constructed laboratories. Photo: BLP

The implications are transformative for children, researchers and clinicians alike. Blood samples will no longer travel across campus; they only need to move down the corridor or up a level. Researchers won’t just schedule meetings with clinicians; they can also share lunch tables. 

Design through the lens of global sustainability

What sets the MCCCC apart is its development framework, firmly rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rather than approaching sustainability as an afterthought, the design team, including Bartos and Kiri Collins, head of built environment and infrastructure at Children’s Cancer Institute, both early contributors to the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) Australian chapter, used the SDGs as a foundational design tool.

“We established a Project Working Group involving all stakeholders to vote on sustainability priorities,” Collins explains. “From this process, we identified 24 specific priorities aligned with seven key SDG categories. This wasn’t just checking boxes, it became our design compass.”

The results are evident in every aspect of the facility, from SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) addressed through biophilic design elements and acoustic comfort, to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) manifested in the building’s adaptable laboratory systems. SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) drove decisions about operational waste reduction and centralised facilities, while SDG 14 (Life Below Water) informed the building’s integration with its landscaped urban context. 

Kiri Collins and Bettina Bartos in one of the newly constructed laboratories. Photo: BLP

Confined by space allocation and bound by strict hospital regulations, the team developed an activity-based laboratory model that revolutionises research space use.

“Traditional laboratories assign fixed spaces to departments,” Collins explains. “We’ve created centrally managed laboratories organised around research activities rather than personnel. The results speak for themselves – triple the workforce in just double the space.”

This approach required a methodical co-design process, consulting users about their specific activities, equipment needs and time allocation patterns. The resulting user-centred design secures researcher buy-in and achieves remarkable space efficiencies – advancing SDG 13 (Climate Action) by maximising productivity within tight spatial constraints. 

Sustainable innovation beyond space utilisation

This building’s sustainability features extend well beyond its spatial layout. In the unique hospital environment, live plants are restricted by hospital infection control. Instead, biophilic design is expressed through high-performance, neutral-toned finishes that meet clinical standards while offering a contemporary aesthetic. 

Native-themed graphics referencing local flora and fauna (created by Frost*collective) take the place of greenery, aligning with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) through symbolic rather than literal inclusion.

Native-themed graphics created by Frost*collective enhance the hospital interiors. Image: Frost Collective

Natural light is harnessed as a functional tool rather than just an amenity. Floor-to-ceiling glazing on both external facades and internal partitions brings daylight deep into the labs, supported by a dual lighting system that combines overhead illumination with task-specific bench lights. This not only improves working conditions but reduces energy use, contributing to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). Acoustics are equally considered, with noisy equipment housed in dedicated suites and ceilings designed to balance acoustic comfort with containment needs.

Movement within the building is reimagined as part of a health strategy. A central PC-2 compliant stair links multiple lab floors and encourages spontaneous collaboration, while upgraded finishes in fire stairs invite everyday use, making typically utilitarian infrastructure part of a wellbeing-focused design. 

One of the most forward-thinking aspects is the dedicated circular economy workshop. Here, lab plastics are recycled, and 3D printers create custom lab equipment at a fraction of commercial costs. “3D filament is at least 80 percent cheaper than mass-produced plastics,” Collins says. This workshop closes material loops within the facility, fully embodying SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

The future laboratory is adaptable

Underlying all these innovations is a commitment to adaptability. Modular benching systems, suspended services infrastructure, and moveable furniture allow easy reconfiguration as research needs evolve. 

“The sustainable laboratory isn’t just about reducing energy consumption today,” Bartos says. “It’s about designing spaces that can adapt to changing research methods without requiring extensive renovation or replacement. It’s an exciting time to see these developments for the future of our kids’ health and their families.”

On completion in late 2025, the MCCCC will span 20,000 square metres and serve as Australia’s first fully integrated children’s cancer research and treatment facility. Beyond its medical mission, it stands as a testament to how thoughtful design can overcome constraints, foster collaboration and reimagine what laboratory spaces can be, all while advancing the UN SDGs for broader planetary health and human wellbeing.

BLP is a proud practice partner of Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 program. Learn more about BLP’s mission to design for a healthy world here.