Nov 9 2012
Recently, one of the first major initiatives to revitalize Toronto's waterfront, the new George Brown College Waterfront Campus opened. Overlooking the harbour of Lake Ontario, the striking 507,000 sq. ft. building focuses on the shift to Inter-Professional Education (IPE) that will transition Canada's healthcare system towards a patient-centred, team-based care delivery model. It consolidates George Brown's schools of Health and Wellness, Dental Health, Nursing and Health Services Management in one purpose-built facility.
Designed by Stantec Architecture/Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects in joint venture, the campus creates a 'living lab' for IPE, which enables the training of students in health professions to collaborate across disciplines, allowing them to deliver holistic care and to support innovative service models and products that prioritize wellness and health promotion.
"Every design decision was filtered through an IPE lens considering health promotion as the next frontier of healthcare beyond prevention. The new building lives, breathes HEALTH - the site is absolutely integral, on the water and by the park. It's a water bottle free-zone and smoking is not allowed. The design has achieved our dream to have building that would be a true enabler of change at every level," said Lorie Shekter-Wolfson, Assistant Vice President, Waterfront Development and Dean, Community Services and Health Resources.
Formally, the architecture is inspired by the maritime and industrial heritage of the site, and draws inspiration from pier buildings, warehouses of industrial waterfronts and cargo ships. The siting and massing was determined by the location, and maximizes views to Lake Ontario and Sherbourne Park. Inside, a continuous path from the street level to the roof terrace creates a vertical 'learning landscape' which simultaneously encourages physical activity, reduces elevator use and provides places for students to cross paths and engage in learning outside of the classroom. Its 'collaboratory' quality is intrinsic to the IPE focus. The overall design optimizes access to fresh air, natural light, and public transit.
"The design reinforces an environment of wellness," said Michael Moxam and Bruce Kuwabara, project principals of the joint venture. "The overall program of spaces strikes a balance between academic instruction and hands-on experience that is increasingly essential to ensure the relevance of future healthcare professionals and to the long-term sustainability of Canada's universally accessible healthcare program."
Source: http://www.kpmb.com