New Ronald McDonald House a home away from home

It’s not every day that you can take a tired old office block and turn it into a home away from home. But that is exactly what Ronald McDonald House (RMH) Auckland Trust has successfully achieved with their new family accommodation unit, Grafton Mews.

Wayne Howett (left) and Tim Pope celebrate the opening of Grafton Mews with some special friends

Located within sight of Auckland Hospital, the new accommodation unit provides a place to stay for families from all over New Zealand while their children are receiving treatment at Starship Children’s Hospital. The new Grafton Mews has 18 rooms, including two transplant units, customised disabled rooms, standard rooms, laundries, living areas, a unit for live-in custodians and a playground.

Originally a corporate office block, the retrofitting of the building has been undertaken with careful attention to the needs of families and has incorporated key learnings from the RMH’s existing Domain House. “What the facility provides goes way beyond just accommodation,” says Wayne Howett, CEO, RMH Auckland Trust. “The house provides comfort and a safe environment for families during what can be a highly stressful time. This has been front of mind at every step of building and design.”

Comfort in uncertain times

When the trust purchased the premises it worked with Avery Architects and Brookfield Multiplex to completely strip out the building. This included everything from the air-conditioning and ceilings to the existing room configuration.

When it came to redesigning the use of space, particular areas of note include two induction rooms. These are essential for the arrival of new families, Mr Howett explains. “Often when a family arrives, they are bewildered and in a state of shock. They may not New Ronald McDonald House a home away from home Wayne Howett (left) and Tim Pope celebrate the opening of Grafton Mews with some special friends have had time to digest the news of what is happening to their child. By providing a calm, quiet room for them, we can take them through what is available at the house and how we will support them through this uncertain time.”

Once settled in, the families have access to the full suite of amenities, allowing them to be self-sufficient while staying at the house. The kitchen has been custombuilt to include enough refrigerator, freezer and dry goods space for each family. Recognising that, sometimes, preparing a meal may be the last thing on a parent’s mind, the trust has continued its practice of providing a home-cooked meal twice a week for all the families. The kitchen has been configured so that it can accommodate large-scale cooking and has a communal dining area.

“We have tremendous support from our business partners, community groups and schools for the dinner nights,” Mr Howett says. “What makes it special is that the volunteers not only prepare and cook the food, they also serve it to the families. They get to see how something as simple as preparing a meal for someone can completely change the way they are coping with a difficult time. The gratitude is tangible and the involvement is breathtaking for everyone involved. It was important for us to have the space to be able to continue this practice at Grafton Mews.”

Recognising the importance of time-out for all members of the family, Grafton Mews also has internet zones, separate TV lounges and adults-only spaces. “Similar to what we have in the Domain House with the teenage-only room which is soundproofed, has computer games, Xboxes and other distractions, we have adults-only spaces available for parents to have some respite,” Mr Howett says.

The 18 new rooms also include two transplant rooms. These are fully self-sufficient with an additional sleeping area for the child, their own laundries and kitchen facilities. These have been specially designed to allow an immunecompromised child the best chance at recovery. All of the rooms have their own heatpumps so families can control each room’s temperature, plus there is an additional airconditioning unit to control communal areas and corridors.

Mixed-use building

When asked what challenges the trust faced with the build, one included the steep driveway access to the building. “On a dark night in the rain, there is no way we wanted families to navigate that hill,” Mr Howett comments. “Instead we installed a skywalk directly from the footpath to the building. This also created a lovely sun-drenched deck area for families to use.”

Another challenge is that Grafton Mews is a mixed-use building. The three floors on the completed west wing provide accommodation for families; however, the east wing is tenanted. To ensure there is privacy and security for all concerned, the building and individual rooms are accessed using a swipe card. As demand for more rooms increases, and fundraising is completed, the east wing will be developed into more family accommodation.

Opened by Prime Minister John Key, phase one of the development included purchasing the building and the refurbishment of the first wing at a cost of $7 million. Brookfield Multiplex undertook the construction that was delivered on time and on budget. Construction started in August 2010 and was completed in March 2011.

Donated services

“A lot of heart went into making this building happen,” says Mr Howett. “At one point we had the flooring contractors coming in and working extra hours to make sure the building was finished on time. Once they saw what the project was, they gave their labour for free because they recognised the importance.” This was critical because in March 2011, RMH Auckland was the only fully operational Ronald McDonald House open in New Zealand.