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Hospital designers strive for campus setting 3 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, October 15, 2009 Continued from page 1 and the diagnostic imaging department. There's also a 12-storey section called the inpatient tower. A second two-storey building on site will offer rehabilitation and nephrology services. The two facilities combine to offer more than 1.5 million square feet of health care space. "This is a new approach to what we are calling a health care campus," said Stephen Phillips, senior principal with Stantec Architecture, who was born at OTMH and whose father was a doctor at the hospital. "Because of its size, it had to function as a campus so people can understand where they are going," Approximately 80 per cent of all inpatient rooms will be single-patient rooms. "We're setting a new standard for infection control for better results in treating patients and faster healing," Phillips said. "This is the first facility that is doing this in a big way." Every inpatient room will have a view of nature, with either an exterior view or one that looks into the interior courtyard. There will also be spaces throughout the building that bring the outdoors inside. "The inpatient tower will have huge double and triple height spaces that are like sky parks that they can access from above the ground," said Phillips. "It will have amazing views of the escarpment, the town and the lake." There is a strong emphasis on going green for this project. Planners are working towards a Silver LEED certification. Design enhancements are also being made for water and energy efficiencies. "There's going to be a green roof and many other energy efficiencies," Phillips said. "A plant is going to be constructed by Oakville Hydro adjacent to the site and it is going to supply the energy for the whole site." Maintaining as much natural environment as possible is a key feature of the site, which is currently a field. There will be walking trails, bike paths, healing gardens, a playing field and civic square on the health care campus. CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN COURTESY OF STANTEC ARCHITECTURE LTD. VIEW FROM ABOVE: A topographical map of the new hospital shows how the designers are maximizing the use of landscape techniques. The design also includes walking trails, bike paths, healing gardens, a playing field and civic square. "We are promoting pedestrian cir"I'm the most excited about hav- is probably running out of space and culation and maximizing the land- ing a brand-new facility and having the town is growing as well, so that's scape," said Mary Jane Lovering, prin- state-of-the-art equipment and a love- one of the reasons I think we need the cipal landscape architect with ly new space for our Intensive Care new hospital," said Rob Uttamsingh, Vertechs Design. "We really think it is Unit," said Nancy Merrill, patient care who has lived in the area for 35 years like a hospital set in a garden, which manager for OTMH's Intensive Care and has been a patient at OTMH. "The is innovative. We want patients and Unit and 2 East. "In our new setting, plans look impressive, with lots of members of the community to have it will be a cohesive, well-planned light and nice spaces." access to outdoor space. And there's a space with what I've heard will be 24 Jae Rang and her son William lot of different programs that need beds to start, with built-in opportuni- Mahood, 16, said they liked the site outdoor space." ties to expand that number." plan and artist's renderings for the There was a high public turnout at Several longtime Oakville resi- new building. Tuesday's open house, with many dents said they were happy to see the "We've heard so much about it and people, including hospital staff, excit- new hospital moving ahead. the technology and what it is going to ed to see progress being made on the "This hospital here is 40 to 50 bring to the area, so we wanted to new facility. years old and it has run its course and come tonight to see the plans," Rang said. "I think it is going to be a great addition to our community. I especially like that they are building it with people in mind, as opposed to just the services. It is great to see so many trees and a courtyard. That's all really important." Mahood said the new hospital will help address Oakville's growing population. "It is a big change and big deal in our community, which keeps getting larger," he said. "I think the design is pretty cool and I like that all the rooms have windows so you can look outside or in a courtyard." What will happen to the OTMH site when the new Oakville Hospital opens has not yet been determined, but it will not stay a hospital, Bailey said. "We are working with the Town to help develop a policy on how this site will be dealt with in the future," he said. "We do know that this will not be a hospital. There will only be one hospital in Oakville and that will be the new Oakville Hospital." The next milestone for the project is the Request for Qualifications, (RFQ) which will be issued this fall. The RFQ invites companies to indicate their interest and qualifications for the project. "Once all the RFQ submissions have been received, we will work with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Infrastructure Ontario to evaluate each team and select three that will be placed on a short list," said Bailey. "The teams making the submissions at the RFQ stage must demonstrate they have the design, construction, facilities management experience and financial strength to deliver a project of this size and complexity." The short-listed teams will be invited to respond to the next step, the Request for Proposals, in 2010. The short-listed teams will then develop and submit comprehensive, detailed plans for the new facility. Following a review process, one team will be selected. Once the contract is signed with the successful bidder, construction is expected to begin in 2011. For information on the new Oakville Hospital, go online to www.haltonhealthcare.com. SHUTTERS Shop at Home Service CALIFORNIA & PLANTATION FREE SHUTTERS ETC.