Health & Medical Research Building

New Health and Medical
Research Building
Now Open

_{Credit: Mark Zed Photography courtesy of Hansen Yuncken}

Health and Medical Research Building at Flinders Village

Renowned as innovative and progressive, Flinders University knows bringing the brightest minds together with industry can change the world. That’s why we’ve invested in and built a new Health and Medical Research Building (HMRB) as the centrepiece of our exciting Flinders Village development.

The HMRB enables researchers, practitioners and industry partners to work together more closely than ever before, creating a hub of collaboration within southern Adelaide’s own biomedical research precinct.

Located adjacent to Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders Private Hospital, it is the focal point of research informed by genuine patient need, positioned to make an immediate improvement to people’s health and wellbeing.

Building on more than 50 years of exceptional health and medical teaching, the HMRB is a once-in-a-generation initiative that will transform how we understand, diagnose and treat illness.

The HMRB is a defining achievement in Flinders University’s history; a landmark investment in the health and wellbeing of all South Australians and the next step in undertaking research that will change lives and change the world.

HMRB sets a benchmark for health innovation

Fly through of the completed building.

HMRB is all about collaboration – between researchers, industry, healthcare professionals and the community. We know that when we come together for a common goal, we achieve great things and change lives.

That's why we're reaching out to our Flinders community – please join us to support the vital research that will take place within HMRB.

Contact Mark Goldsmith 0421 818 130 to partner with us, or donate online today.

Support life-changing health and medical research

Flinders University was established on the lands of the Kaurna nation, with the first University campus, Bedford Park, located on the ancestral body of Ngannu near the significant site, Warriparinga.

In consultation with Uncle Lewis Yarlupurka O’Brien and members of the Cultural Narrative and Indigenous Art Advisory Panel, the HMRB has been designed to reflect Rainbow Yarta (rainbow country) – the multicoloured sand dunes of Kaurna country.

FAST FACTS

Professional (non-academic) and research staff started to move in from May 2024.

Accommodates staff from Flinders’ Colleges of Medicine and Public Health and Nursing and Health Sciences.

Located just 50m from the Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders Private Hospital, it provides a unique relationship between research, education, clinical expertise and community.

For people arriving by train, the impressive HMRB marks a new gateway to our campus via the new pedestrian connection through to University Drive and beyond.

Building

First building in the Flinders Village - 22,000sqm building spanning 10 storeys.

Features state-of-the-art research and staff spaces, seminar area, public spaces and a ground floor café coming soon.

Jobs

Created 750 jobs over 2.5 years.

Part of a 20,000 strong employment hub, can accommodate 640 researchers
and staff in the building.

Investment

$280million project set to activate the $1.1billion economic value of Flinders Village.

Research

Large investment that supports our research uplift and ambitious growth agenda - as a premier University in health and medical research.

_{Credit: Mark Zed Photography courtesy of Hansen Yuncken}

Pioneers in health

Flinders has a long, proud history as a pioneer in integrated health. Ours is the first medical school in the nation to be integrated into a public hospital, within a health and education precinct. This includes the state’s busiest hospital, educates the majority of the state’s medical workforce and contributes to a substantial proportion of the state’s biomedical research. The HMRB builds on Flinders’ reputation as the largest integrated academic hospital campus in South Australia.

Rural and remote health

At Flinders University, we believe all Australians should have access to the best in healthcare, regardless of where they live.

Since opening, we have expanded our footprint across South Australia, through central Australia and into the Top End. Our regional locations give us genuine local insights, informing education and research for local students and those on our metropolitan campuses.

Flinders University Rural and Remote Health SA takes health education out of the classroom and into the community, focussing on the unique needs of regional areas and the value of true collaboration. The program means better outcomes for patients – and for our students.

Flinders’ on-the-ground presence, and our partnerships with other universities, governments and communities, mean we can undertake work that changes lives.

Designed for life

Health and wellbeing are central to our new Health and Medical Research Building’s mission, reflected in its design and location. Its proximity to Flinders railway station is an incentive to use public transport and provides easy access to our Tonsley and CBD campuses. For those who prefer to travel under their own steam, dedicated end-of-trip facilities and a bike store make commuting or a lunchtime walk a breeze.  

Open indoor spaces feature greenery and promote natural light and air circulation. Outside, the Indigenous bush medicine garden is the perfect place for reflection or a quick break. 

The landscaping connects the University, hospitals and Flinders Station to the HMRB, creating a new gateway to Flinders and a walking environment that is streamlined, safe and engaging. Lifts at both ends of the building allow people to move easily from the Village to University Drive, and green spaces encourage time outside the building.

The HMRB has achieved a Platinum rating under WiredScore certification, making us the first medical research institute in the world to receive this rating. Read more about WiredScore.

Our building is also on schedule to achieve Gold WELL and LEED certification for sustainability and wellbeing. Achieving these three certifications together will make the HMRB unique in Australia, and in the world.

Stronger connections

The HMRB unlocks economic growth through collaborative research and education. Strategic partnerships will strengthen our connections with southern Adelaide, rural South Australia and the Northern Territory, increasing the breadth of SA’s health and medical research network.

Building for the future

Our $280m Health and Medical Research Building incorporates strong sustainable design that embeds it in the beautiful surrounds of our Bedford Park campus. As the flagship building in Flinders Village, the HMRB sets the standard for sustainability across our developments and captures our bold vision for a brighter future.

The HMRB uses 100% renewable electricity, generated by photovoltaic solar panels on campus and supported by wind power from a local South Australian wind farm, significantly reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. The design allows for future connection of recycled water to reduce the use of potable water, and we diverted 100% of construction waste from landfill. The structure features a beautiful and functional façade, orientated to reduce heat load. The façade system also incorporates glazing that rejects 75% of heat from the sun and louvres that open to bring fresh air into the building and close automatically based on the weather conditions.

With a design that also includes a Climate Change Adaptation Plan to address future climate impacts, HMRB is certainly a building for the future.

Powering research

We will translate our world-class research into local community healthcare outcomes and support the next generation of local health and medical researchers, as well as showcase Flinders’ research strengths on the world stage.

The HMRB will empower research in priority areas such as public health, vision science, neuroscience, mental health, ageing, Indigenous health, primary care, gastroenterology, diabetes, chronic disease, maternal and child health, health and social care economics, pain, cancer, cardiovascular health and infection and immunity.

Flinders Village

Seamlessly connected by the Flinders train station to Flinders University campuses at Tonsley and in the CBD, HMRB is the first stage and centrepiece of our Flinders Village development – Adelaide’s largest fully integrated education, research and health care precinct.