Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness

The Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness provides ambulatory care to serve the diverse community of Brampton.

Peel Memorial Centre is a state-of-the-art, 591,000 square-foot facility with LEED® Gold certification, delivering care through an inter-professional and innovative partnership model.

Osler’s health and wellness systems based approach includes excellence in Rehabilitation and Seniors Health, Mental Health and Addictions and Women’s and Children’s Health supported by urgent care, ambulatory surgery and diagnostic services.

Design features

Building exterior and approach to the site

The ‘Green Spine’ double row of trees forms a continuation of urban street trees on Queen Street, into and around the site with pedestrian and bicycle routes that tie the health precinct into the surrounding neighbourhood.

The Centre is readily identifiable by the principal façade of light coloured brick and a spectacular multi-layered, multi-coloured glass entry which projects a sense of arrival and welcome. The unique light coloured brick communicates brightness and openness.

Upon entry, visitors immediately experience the expansive double and triple height space of the entry hall, with a large three-storey glazed, landscaped central courtyard. The light coloured flooring of the entry hall reflects sunshine and daylight from the courtyard through the coloured glass.

The overall orientation of the building in an East-West alignment supports Peel Memorial Centre’s sustainable design strategy as the orientation maximizes daylight and sun penetration into interior portions of the building. Courtyards and a dining terrace have been designed as intimate, reflective spaces for use by patients and visitors.

Below the south parking lot a large geothermal field is able to provide approximately 85 per cent of the buildings heating and cooling loads. This field incorporates over 100 boreholes which extend approximately 600 feet below the surface.

Clinical planning

As the predominant entrance to the building is on the north side, a public concourse was devised to provide simple, direct, and intuitive way-finding. This allows the public and patients to access any and all clinics and public amenities off this public concourse. A separate non-public service corridor to the south maintains strong staff connectivity, allows easy access for support function and materials, provides access to staff only spaces, limits crossover, and fosters appropriate infection control practices. Central public and service elevators are located off the public concourse and service corridor to reinforce and maintain this simple circulation system.

The facility’s design is based on the principles of universal design and accessibility and the design of the first phase building includes a number of deliberate provisions that allow for future internal and external expansion.

The information communication and technology design for the new Centre emphasizes mobility, integration and ease of access.

Innovations

The Plenary Health design team targeted a leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver Certification, but have achieved a Gold Certification.

Environmental design initiatives that helped achieve this include:

• 15 per cent use of new materials from recycled origins;
• 20 per cent use of regionally sourced new materials;
• 42 per cent energy cost savings compared to the Model National Energy Code for Buildings;
• Use of low-emitting materials (i.e. adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, flooring, composite wood materials, systems furniture and seating);
• Use of an integrated energy metering system tracks building performance;
• Reduction in potable water consumption by over 30 per cent through low flow fixtures;
• Reductions in process water demand by rejecting heat to the geothermal field in lieu of cooling tower;
• More than 90 per cent efficient modulating and condensing boilers and domestic water heaters; and
• Use of sensors to control lights throughout the building.

Local Economic Impacts

The project provides substantial economic support to the local community through job creation, with more than 50 per cent of workers sourced locally.

There was approximately 600 workers on site at the peak of construction.