The Civic development project is now in the second of five required stages of the planning process required by the Ontario Ministry of Health. At this stage we are pleased to share with the public the proposed design of the new cutting-edge campus that will be situated near Dow’s Lake at the foot of the Rideau Canal in Ottawa.
Site proposal highlights
Accessing the site
The main entrance will be accessed directly off Carling Avenue, up the escarpment to arrive at a circular drive drop-off at the front door. Directly below the front door, under a covered green roof, will be the Emergency Department entrance, one floor beneath grade, for patient drop-off and triage. Covered and protected temporary parking will be available for Emergency patients and visitors.
Ambulance traffic will use separate, dedicated access routes the lead directly to the protected Emergency garage.
The Dow’s Lake light rail transit station will be connected to the site by a covered, accessible walkway. This walkway will also connect the research tower, medical office buildings, and the green-roofed parking garage on the lower portion of the site, so that people can move safely and comfortably through the site.
Inside the new hospital
The main entranceway will feature a central light well with double-storied glass, letting in an abundance of natural light. Intuitive wayfinding will help people move through the entrance to their destination within the hospital. Frequently used services such as pharmacy, medical imaging, patient registration, ambulatory care specimen collection centre, and other programs will be housed near the entrance.
The seven-floor north tower and eleven-floor south tower will bracket the atrium and will house outpatient care clinics and inpatient units. The helipad will sit on top of the south tower with dedicated trauma elevators that reach all floors, particularly the Emergency Department, surgical suites, diagnostic and interventional imaging, and critical care.
The lower floor will include the loading docks, materials management, segregated soiled and clean distribution areas, food services, environmental services – all components that will serve each of the different departments.
Robotic technology will support transportation workers and other staff. Goods and services will come across the basement floor and be transported up high-speed traction elevators with the least amount of disruption or crossover with the public.
Elevator lobbies will serve the public and the staff in a way that allows for maximum flexibility for the floor plates in the future. Front-of-house traffic will be segregated for the public, whereas back of house traffic will be reserved for staff, services, and patient transfers. As health-care services change in the future, the building can readily adapt to new demands.
New Civic Development Details
- One patient, one bedroom, one bathroom for infection prevention and control, better privacy, and better rest.
- ‘Smart’ interactive digital technology and communication screens in patient rooms and nursing stations
- The most advanced trauma centre, one of the most innovative neuroscience research programs in the world and will feature some of the most cutting-edge digital technology that will enable medical personnel to provide the most advanced care to patients.
- Research and education will be a critical part of the new Civic project and integrated in the project design to ensure patients will be able to benefit from innovative new therapies.
New Civic Development Features
- Accessible: Will meet the highest standards as one of the most accessible hospitals for all people, all abilities
- Flexible: Built-in resilience and flexibility to adapt to changing health trends, system demands, outbreak management
- Adaptable: Four season climate adaptability, natural light in corridors and rooms
- Sustainable: Holistic sustainability in its design, water, waste and energy efficiencies, food service and transportation modes
- Friendly: Includes a greenspace/public realm for outdoor recreation
Building schedule for the new Civic development
- 2021: Complete program and space planning done; proposals to qualify and select proponents to design, build, finance, and maintain
- 2022: Start of on-site parking garage to be completed end of 2023; select the preferred proponents and long-term partners for the new Civic development
- 2023: Complete the business and financial plan and financially close the project
- 2024: Construction begins for four years
- 2027: Transition management to the new site
- 2028: Grand opening
Guiding and Design Principles
- Patients, families, staff and volunteers: an inspired setting that upholds compassionate, exceptional care; the value of health, wellbeing, and balance, in natural lighting and modern, safe workspaces, access to outdoor landscapes, and recreational areas for optimal performance and personal restoration.
- Clinicians, scientists, and trainees/learners: the pursuit of ground-breaking research and discovery that integrates seamlessly with exemplary care, and the education and inspiration of our future work force.
- State-of-the-art facility: a new era of safety in emergency, trauma, and pandemic planning, of health system partnership and leadership, for the food of the region, for Canada, and the world.
- Community relationships: partnerships to be fostered that contribute to a strong system collaboration along the continuum of health care, the improved access, management health and wellbeing of residents in Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Nunavut.
- Innovation: paramount in every aspect of the new hospital – in its form and function, its design, its building engineering, and techniques, in construction materials, in environmental responsibility and sustainability, and in state-of-the-art information systems, virtual connectivity, and technology.
- Economic driver: new Civic development will stimulate the economy in Canada’s capital by creating thousands of jobs, not only during construction, but in ancillary businesses and enterprises that support people, services, and the community.