Inside High-Care Design: A Practical Site Tour

Melbourne Site Tour | Thursday 28 May | 2:00 – 4:00 pm AEST | Abbotsford, VIC

Register Now

IHEA VIC is pleased to invite members and industry colleagues to an exclusive, in-person site tour of the Galvin Engineering Experience Centre in Melbourne.

This is more than a site visit—it’s a practical, immersive learning experience designed to bridge the gap between specification, compliance, and real-world performance in high-care environments.

With limited places available, early registration is strongly encouraged.

Why This Site Tour Matters

Across healthcare, aged care, and other high-dependency environments, the design of bathroom and water systems plays a critical role in safety, infection control, and user independence.

While standards such as the NCC and AS 1428 provide essential compliance frameworks, they don’t always capture how a space actually performs in daily use. Too often, environments meet requirements on paper but still create challenges for the people using them.

As highlighted in Galvin’s design philosophy, true success lies in designing for real interaction—how people move, reach, operate fixtures, and maintain safety without reliance on assistance.

This site tour provides a rare opportunity to experience those considerations firsthand.

A Hands-On Experience—Not a Showroom

The Galvin Experience Centre has been purpose-built as a working environment, not a display space.

Participants will be able to:

• Test products in fully operational bathroom settings

• Compare different fixture types and configurations

• Experience usability challenges from a user perspective

• Explore how design decisions impact both patients and staff

This approach enables professionals to move beyond drawings and specifications—and into practical, evidence-based decision-making.

What You’ll Learn

1. Interactive Demonstrations in Real Time

See tapware and bathroom fixtures in action through live demonstrations that highlight:

• Safety and infection prevention features

• Water efficiency and sustainability considerations

• Durability in high-use environments

• Ease of operation for users with limited mobility or dexterity

You’ll gain practical insight into how systems perform under real conditions—critical knowledge when specifying for healthcare and residential care settings.

2. Expert Guidance Across Key Design Considerations

Hear directly from specialists on the factors shaping modern high-care environments, including:

• Compliance with regulatory frameworks and standards

• Infection prevention and control strategies

• Maintenance planning and whole-of-life performance

• Product selection for specialised and high-risk environments

• CPD-aligned learning outcomes

• Person-centred and inclusive design principles

This is an opportunity to ask questions, validate assumptions, and deepen your technical understanding.

3. Full Room Solutions—Seeing the Whole System

One of the most valuable aspects of the Experience Centre is the ability to view complete environments, not just individual products.

You’ll walk through fully realised bathroom and clinical spaces featuring:

• Ligature-resistant tapware for mental health settings

• Thermostatic Mixing Valves (TMVs) for safe temperature control

• Smart water management systems for monitoring and efficiency

• DDA-compliant fixtures and layouts

• Integrated solutions for healthcare, aged care, and residential environments

This systems-based approach reinforces a key principle: independent, safe use is achieved through the interaction of the entire space—not individual components.

Designing for Independence and Usability

A core theme of the session is designing for independence.

Small design decisions—such as tap operation, fixture placement, or temperature control—can significantly influence whether a space is usable without assistance.

The Experience Centre highlights how:

• Reduced force tapware improves accessibility

• Thoughtful placement supports mobility and reach

• Consistent temperature control enhances safety

• Integrated design reduces risk and improves user confidence

By experiencing these elements in context, participants gain a clearer understanding of how to design environments that genuinely support dignity, safety, and autonomy.

Who Should Attend?

This session is highly relevant for professionals involved in the planning, design, and operation of high-care environments, including:

• Healthcare engineers

• Facility managers

• Architects and designers

• Project managers

• Capital works and refurbishment teams

• Consultants working across healthcare, aged care, mental health, education, and childcare sectors

If your role involves specifying, designing, or maintaining critical environments, this tour will provide valuable, practical insight.

Event Details

Date: Thursday 28 May 2026

Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm (AEST)

Location: 5/71 Victoria Crescent, Abbotsford VIC 3067

Secure Your Place

To ensure a high-quality, interactive experience, places are strictly limited.

This is a unique opportunity to move beyond theory and see how compliant, inclusive, and high-performing environments are delivered in practice.

Register Now

Register now to secure your place and experience design in action.