Farrow Partnership Architects (FPA) is pleased to announce that the redevelopment and expansion of Bluewater Health in Sarnia, Ont, has achieved LEED NC Certification, the first and largest acute care hospital in Ontario to attain this status. The project earned LEED points from the U.S. Green Building Council for a sustainable site, materials and resources, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, energy and atmosphere, and innovation and design process. Sustainable features include green roofs; a central atrium with glazing and sharing devices to realize passive solar gains; a high R-value building envelope; the largest coordinated modular wall and furniture systems in an acute care hospital in North America; and the establishment of strategic corporate partnerships.
The project includes a new emergency department; a 30,000-square-foot surgical centre with eight new operating rooms and four new procedure rooms to replace existing surgical facilities; a consolidated maternal infant child program, which will, for the first time, offer labour, birthing and paediatric services on one floor; complex continuing care; ambulatory care; dialysis; mental health in- and out-patient services; new diagnostic imaging suite; cardio respiratory services; underground parking and support services; and a new two-storey public atrium and main entrance.
The largest public redevelopment project in Sarnia-Lambton’s history, the 470,000-square-foot (44,000-square-metre) facility features a new five-storey, 325,000-square-foot addition and 145,000 square feet of renovations. This 326-bed community hospital employs close to 2,500 staff and volunteers.
“By being the first in Ontario to realize LEED NC Certification, Bluewater Health has demonstrated FPA’s leadership and commitment to our values of ‘Cause Health,’ and is the first of a number of benchmark sustainable health buildings presently being realized by the office, including North America’s first carbon-neutral hospital (LEED Platinum) and Canada’s first LEED Gold complex continuing care hospital”, says Farrow Partnership senior partner, Tye Farrow.
The $240M project was designed by Farrow Partnership and associate architects Stantec Architecture Vancouver.