Flinders Island Community Vet by Bence Mulcahy
Bence Mulcahy was selected through a publicly advertised EOI process to design a new community veterinary facility at Whitemark on Flinders Island. Previously, the island did not have a dedicated central clinic.
The clinic’s verandah offers shelter for public meetings and aligns with a neighbouring community shed to facilitate a future connection. Both the verandah and undercroft provide pet-friendly alternatives to traditional clinic reception and waiting spaces, their openings carefully placed to capture views of Mount Strzelecki.
In order to provide opportunities for prefabrication, as well as familiar construction materials for local contractors to manage and service, the clinic is predominantly made from timber.
Sophie Bence and Shamus Mulcahy established Bence Mulcahy in 2015 to achieve greater work/life flexibility. They share a strong commitment to public work – what they describe as “practising generously” – and seek to practise in a community-centric way. They believe that every project has a responsibility to its physical, social and cultural context.
Initially focusing on private residential projects,
