Through a public-private partnership, the project is an impressive example of a well-executed social infrastructure deployed through innovative, sustainable building practices.
This is ACCIONA’s second healthcare facility in Canada which will be designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification.
We hope that this is only the beginning of other healthcare facilities throughout North America which strive for sustainable, responsible and energy-efficient design to optimize comfort and liveability for the communities in which they exist.
- 55-bed Hospital
- 123-bed Residential Care Facility for seniors
- An integrated services building for centralized food, laundry and material services
- Sustainable building practices: designed to achieve LEED Gold certification
- Pebble Partnership Project, helping healthcare providers to push beyond standard design expectations in order to encourage innovative progression in how the industry can improve and be more effective through the built environment
General information
- Location: Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
- Client: Northern Health Authority (NHA) and the Province of British Columbia
- Our role: Concessionaire, Design & Construct Contractor, Hard Facility Manager
- Infrastructure: 161,000-square-foot hospital and residential care building
- Completion date: 2012
Key points
ACCIONA is a new neighbour in the Fort St. John community, and we’ve made it a priority to work closely with the local construction community to establish good working relationships based on trust and experience. Additionally, we recognize the invaluable contributions of our Consortium partners: Innisfree, Stuart Olson Construction, HCP Canada, and Cannon Design. The strength of our team was vital to winning the project and has ensured a high-quality product will be delivered.
Making our client’s vision “to be a model of excellence in rural health care” was the primary focus for ACCIONA as we began to design the new Fort St. John Hospital and Residential Care Facility. The redevelopment of this hospital has modernized the delivery of health care for the communities in northeast British Columbia, including Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson, now and into the future. The need for this facility is evident, as the region’s residential healthcare demand is currently served by three, outdated and aging facilities.
One of the primary focuses for this project was to create an elder-friendly environment, comprising of features like more single-bed rooms for comfort and privacy, as well as the outdoor space so patients and family can enjoy nature during their time spent in the hospital’s landscaped areas.
Furthermore, the hospital is a partner in the Pebble project, which is an international industry initiative that challenges healthcare establishments, along with their designers, to introduce pioneering, evidence-based design practices to create healing environments that encourage the highest quality of care, advance safety standards and increase overall effectiveness and efficiency. For example, wall color and patterns, healing art themes and consideration of patient views from room windows was all create a calming environment for the caregivers and cared-for alike.
The overall design is ergonomic, reducing patient stress and thereby improving wellness and recovery rates. The measurable best-practice design methods are quantified and shared with other Pebble partners in an effort to continue the innovation and quality of care for future healthcare organizations.