Consumers lead design for Geelong’s CBD mental health hub

Up Property managing director Adam Davidson and Barwon Health chief executive Frances Diver with designs for the mental health hub to open at 181 Moorabool St this year. Picture: Brad Fleet

Mental health services are taking on a retail edge as Barwon Health moves closer to launching its first hub in Geelong’s CBD shopping precinct.

Consumers had a key stake in leading the interior design of the project, which marks a new direction how people can access mental health services in the city.

The $28m project is a public-private partnership with developer Up Property, which has handed over the five-storey building at 181 Moorabool St to Barwon Health to begin the internal fit-out.

And the designs look amazing.

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In her role as a project officer for the mental health hub, Leah Ingles represented the perspective of a group of 30 consumers with lived experience in mental health to push the interior design from a cold, clinical environment to a warm, welcoming home-like space where people want to come in and can feel safe.

“My moment of amazement was when we were reflecting on what we had (started with) to what we ended up with, which was a whole lot of squares and a jail-like feel and we’ve moved into curves and inviting spaces and waiting spaces,” Ms Ingles…