Wakai Waian Healing

A two-level Caloundra tenancy delivered for Wakai Waian Healing that accommodates clients with six therapy rooms, two sensory OT spaces and reception on the ground floor, connected by a brand-new internal staircase to a boardroom, breakout area and open-plan workspace above.

August 19, 2026

Medical & Allied Health

Wakai Waian Healing

2 Levels

13 weeks

Calounda, Sunshine Coast QLD

The Brief

Wakai Waian Healing needed a home for their third Queensland clinic, joining existing sites in Rockhampton and Thursday Island. This wasn’t a standard medical fitout brief: the space needed to reflect culture, not just accommodate it, giving Indigenous identity a central role in the design rather than a decorative afterthought. The two-level Caloundra tenancy called for six therapy rooms, two sensory OT spaces and reception on the ground floor, connected by a brand-new internal staircase to a boardroom, breakout area and open-plan workspace above. Every therapy and sensory room needed acoustic soundproofing to protect client confidentiality, and the space had to move away from a clinical feel toward something calming and welcoming, while still meeting the accessibility and compliance standards of a working health service.

The Outcome

Indigenous artwork became the starting point of the design, not the finishing touch, running through the interior as the space’s defining feature, with earthy tones and warm timber chosen to support it rather than compete with it. The result is a space built around trust and comfort: soundproofed therapy rooms for confidentiality, a curved and wheelchair-accessible reception desk as the first welcoming touchpoint, and a considered colour palette that brings warmth without losing the calm. The new internal staircase was a first for the RAW team on an office fitout, requiring close work through design, engineering and structural changes to get right. Indigenous wallpaper detailing added a striking, near-lifelike layer of colour against the earthy palette. A handful of building-related hurdles came up along the way, but close communication with the client kept the project on track, landing just three weeks over the original practical completion date. Wakai Waian Healing now delivers psychological and mental health services across regional and remote Queensland from three dedicated clinics; Rockhampton, Thursday Island, and now Caloundra.

The Design

The design intent was to create a space that feels safe, welcoming and calming moving away from the traditional clinical aesthetic. Indigenous artwork was thoughtfully incorporated throughout the interior, becoming the focal point and the defining feature of the space. A carefully considered colour palette complements the artwork, introducing warmth and a vibrant yet soothing atmosphere for patients and staff alike.

Construction

The clients were fantastic to deal with and made the process for construction relatively simple. Building internal stairs on an office fitout is not something we get to do regularly, so it was an interesting challenge working through the design, engineering and structural alterations to make it work. The addition of the Indigenous wallpaper conveyed a realistic pop of colour to the earthy palette throughout the fitout.

Wakai Waian Healing