The design for the new Teck Acute Care Centre at BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, strives to deliver a patient- and family-centered healing environment that incorporates evidence-based design and Lean design elements to support a flexible, operationally efficient, and sustainable care environment for patients, families, and staff.

ZGF Architects LLP (Seattle) and CEI Architecture (Vancouver, Canada) are jointly designing the new facility and represent the architectural component of Affinity Partnerships, the project team that was awarded the project following a fixed-price, performance-based public-private partnership (P3) competition.

Affinity Partnerships will design, build, finance, and maintain the Teck Acute Care Centre for 30 years, as part of the contract. Additional team members include Balfour Beatty Investments and Ledcor Design Build, which will deliver construction services, and Balfour Beatty Communities and Black & McDonald Ltd., which will deliver facilities management services over the 30-year agreement.

Construction will begin in winter 2014-2015, with a targeted completion set for winter 2017-2018. The total cost for the three-phase redevelopment project is estimated at $676 million.

The 640,000-square-foot, eight-story facility will include medical/surgical inpatient units, an emergency department, medical imaging and procedural suites, a hematology/oncology department, and a pediatric intensive care unit for BC Children’s. It also includes a high-risk birthing center and a new neonatal intensive care unit for BC Women’s.

One of the central design objectives was to improve care delivery by optimizing access and flow. In response, the public entry and elevator core are located along the main circulation concourse to separate flow of on-stage and off-stage activities. The design separates public, patient, and staff flows with few crossovers.

The public flow originates at the main entrance on the north side to support vehicular approach. Staff and service flows originate at the south side near the ground level link to other campus services for the delivery and removal of materials and supplies.

Evidence-based design principles are also employed to create an inviting healing space for patients, families, and staff. Throughout the facility, there is access to direct natural light as well as vistas of outdoor landscaping and view gardens, with patient and staff-accessible gardens on levels 5, 6, and 8.

Energy-efficient LED lighting minimizes glare and provides warm light, while acoustic treatments minimize noise disturbance. Clear organization and wayfinding strategies are enhanced by visual connection to the outdoors to reduce confusion and stress. Public spaces feature natural wood elements for a more homelike feel.

Prior Lean planning work is reflected in how the facility is designed to support program, workflow, and equipment change with minimal impact to infrastructure. Inpatient units are standardized in size and layout so they're flexible and can be reconfigured to meet a range of patient needs while cutting down on the time caregivers spend searching for supplies.

The project is targeting LEED Gold certification and will include extensive use of wood consistent with British Columbia’s Wood First Act. 

Do you have a project on the boards you'd like to share in a First Look? Contact Jennifer Kovacs Silvis at jsilvis@vendomegrp.com.