Toronto’s new 464-bed rehabilitation Bridgepoint Hospital is now housing patients receiving healthcare and rehabilitation services for illness and injury.
The 63,174-m2 (680,000-sf), 10-storey facility was designed in collaboration by Stantec Architecture, KPMB Architects, HDR Architecture, and Diamond Schmitt Architects.
Previously, Bridgepoint and its patients were located in the adjacent historic Don Jail building originally built in 1864. The new Bridgepoint facility preserves and incorporates the city’s iconic structure into its design and the two structures are connected by a glass bridge.
Located on a 4.1-ha (10.2-acre) plot, the new addition includes outdoor space for patients and visitors, such as landscaped healing gardens and foot paths. The building itself is also fitted with a vegetated roof. This feature will allow water runoff to be used to irrigate the surrounding landscape.
The design also incorporated additional sustainable features including:
- water-efficient plumbing fixtures;
- window placement for optimal daylighting;
- diversion of 75 per cent of construction waste from landfills by recycling or reuse; and
- a 30 per cent projected decrease in energy usage from traditional hospital design.
The multi-level, cast-in-place concrete structure features stone veneer, aluminum, glazing, wood, stone, and cementitious panel soffits on its building envelope. The project also employed 225 metric tonnes of structural steel.
Hospital services will be more efficient for patients due to double the amount of therapy space, including areas on each floor in addition to an in-ground pool. Larger rooms and hallways will allow patients in wheelchairs to easily access many areas of the hospital.
The new design has relived much of the congestion in the former facility and it will now be accessible by public transportation, cutting down on the number of vehicles present onsite.
Administrative and support services are still located within the former jail.
Some of the renovations made to the existing facility include:
- restoring an original rotunda in the entry way,
- uncovering a skylight previously tiled over; and
- unveiling a glass floor that had been built over.
On the second floor, original walkways lined with gargoyles and wrought-iron railings will be preserved, while in the basement, jail cells will remain in original condition for historic purposes.
