SA Ambulance Service Precinct
SA Ambulance Service Precinct
Client:
SA Ambulance Service
Department of Health & Wellbeing
State Health Coordination Centre
Department of Infrastructure & Transport
Attorney-General’s Department
Location:
Mile End South, South Australia
Scale:
20,000 sqm - Master Plan
7,300 sqm - Operations Centre
1,400 sqm - Ambulance Station
Status:
Completed October 2025
Contact Person:
Andrew Schunke
Working in close collaboration with SA Ambulance Service, State Government authorities and the Attorney-General’s Department, Architectus has delivered a new 7,300 sqm Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for South Australia. This purpose-built, highly resilient facility supports 24/7 emergency call-taking operations for ambulance services across the state.
Located on a secure 2-hectare site, the project also includes a 1,400 sqm Adelaide Ambulance Station and more than 250 on-grade car parks.
The precinct’s planning prioritises operational efficiency, safety and legible movement, anchored by a central ‘Greenheart’ landscape that offers staff space to decompress, recharge and connect.
A resilient critical operations hub
Designed and built to Importance Level 4 (IL4) standards with Island Mode capability, the EOC is conceived as a reliable state asset, able to operate during critical incidents and in post-disaster conditions.
Robust servicing strategies, secure access and integrated redundancy ensure the facility remains functional when it is needed most.
Future growth is embedded from the outset. Integrated cold shell space enables expansion with minimal disruption to live operations, supporting evolving service models and technology over time.
People, wellbeing and performance
More than a workplace, the EOC reframes how emergency teams collaborate and care for their people.
Biophilic design principles inform both interior and landscape responses, with generous natural light, restorative outlooks and a calm, tactile material palette.
A network of respite spaces — including decompression rooms, crew areas and the Greenheart landscape — provides essential balance to high-intensity work, supporting mental health, connection and long-term team resilience.
Designed for efficiency
The co-location of the EOC with the Adelaide Ambulance Station and on-grade parking streamlines daily operations and optimises response times. Clear circulation routes, intuitive wayfinding and deliberate zoning between secure operational areas, support spaces and amenities enable safe, efficient movement across the site.
The master plan anticipates future change, allowing the facility to adapt to emerging clinical practices, new technologies and shifts in state-wide emergency response.
Design concept: Embrace
At the heart of the project is the concept of ‘embrace’ — a design idea that speaks to care, protection and the collective resilience of those who serve the community. This is expressed through the building’s protective forms, layered thresholds and the central Greenheart that draws people together.
The Emergency Operations Centre stands as a contemporary benchmark for critical infrastructure: a place that safeguards continuity of service while supporting the wellbeing of the people who keep South Australia safe and healthy.
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Client:
SA Ambulance Service
Department of Health & Wellbeing
State Health Coordination Centre
Department of Infrastructure & Transport
Attorney-General’s Department
Location:
Mile End South, South Australia
Scale:
20,000 sqm - Master Plan
7,300 sqm - Operations Centre
1,400 sqm - Ambulance Station
Status:
Completed October 2025
Contact Person:
Andrew Schunke
