BRAMPTON CIVIC HOSPITAL
Our winning entry for The Brampton Civic Hospital competition is now part of the largest health care facility within the William Osler Health Centre District and the third largest hospital to be built in Canada. Using a “horizontal hospital” typology, this majestic example of modern institutional architecture grows out of the low two-storey brick suburban neighbourhood of northern Brampton.
Composed of three buildings – the treatment diagnostic centre, inpatient building and central utility plant/parking deck – this facility accommodates pedestrian and vehicular access from all points of the site. Internally organized with an encompassing “ring road”, this vehicular circuit gives access to all buildings from any one of the site’s multiple entry points.
Merging the terms “high tech” and “high touch” in an attempt to capture “state-of-the-art technology” and “care-giving” as the best attributes 21st century hospitals can offer, the building’s architecture is designed using a mix of highly transparent, light, glassy architecture (“high tech”) amalgamated with smooth, earth-toned, garden-inspired, precast concrete panels (“high touch”). When combined, these architectural elements, along with ample outdoor landscaping, have resulted in a highly approachable, patient-friendly hospital exterior.
Convalescent patients are encouraged to aid in their own recovery by taking walks in the fresh air, along the many walking surfaces such as courtyards, terraces at storm water management ponds and areas next to parking lots. All the surfaces were designed to be walkable, visually appealing paths, with an abundance of native plant material and benches to allow for repose when necessary.
Contrasted with the building’s predominantly heavy precast concrete facades are light fabric elements that softly demarcate the entrances, with backlighting providing a warm glow at night. These fabric elements also allude to the soft flowing clothing typically worn by the many East Indian members of this community, connecting the fabric architecture to this local culture.
LOCATION: Brampton, Ontario
ARCHITECT: Parkin Associates Ltd.
+ Adamson Associates Architects
DESIGN LEADERSHIP: Michael Poitras,
Partner-in-Charge of Design (Adamson)
COMPETITION: Private/Public Partnership (P3) – First Place
CLIENT: Healthcare Infrastructure Company of Canada
STATISTICS:
- Treatment Diagnostic Centre: 3 storeys
- Inpatient Buildings: 6 storeys
- Central Utility Plant/Parking Decks: 7 storeys
- Total floor area:
1,300,000 ft2 (120,774 m2) - Parking: 2,560 stalls
(including a 7-storey screened parking deck)
MATERIALS:
- Smooth precast concrete (buff)
- Textured precast concrete (grey/green)
- Silver pre-finished metal panels
- Silver curtain wall windows & doors
- Silver window wall
- Fabric entrance canopies
- Poured in-place concrete pathways & forecourts
- Outdoor landscaping
GENERAL PROGRAM:
- 18 operating rooms
- 37 departments
- 610 acute care beds
- Loading docks: 8
- Ambulance Bays: 10 (designed to be used as triage space during large disasters)
CAPACITY: (people/year)
- Emergency: 90,000
- Ambulatory care: 160,000
- Births: 4,250
COST: $650 million
COMPLETION: 2007