The Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation project sets a new standard for therapeutic environments in regional NSW.

 

Located on Wonnarua Country and nestled between a rocky escarpment and a wetland, the design sensitively integrates with the landscape. Every design decision — material, spatial, and environmental — is guided by the principles of connection, dignity, and care.

The project was born out of a highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary process led by Bates Smart(architecture + interior design), with Turf Design Studio (landscape architecture), Studio Semaphore (wayfinding design), and Yerrabingin (Connecting with Country). The result is a building shaped by many voices — rooted in place, grounded in lived experience, and united by a shared commitment to human-centred mental health care. Read more on our project page.