Bridgepoint Active Healthcare

Bridgepoint Active Healthcare is a new kind of healthcare facility. Designed to meet the needs of a growing demographic coping with complex chronic disease and for whom the average hospital stay is three months, this facility is intended to have a transformative role in the rehabilitation of patients. Creativity: The design approach was to imbue Bridgepoint with an empowering sense of wellness to assist patients, to comfort caregivers and inspire the healthcare staff. The syncopated pattern of horizontal and vertical windows seems random but provides patients in bed with unobstructed views. There are as many vertical pop-out windows as there are patient beds. Context: This long-term care facility is designed to maximize connections with its community, the city and with surrounding nature. The intent is to blur the traditional distinction of institutional space and public access and to provide an inspirational setting to assist patients in their own recovery. Sustainability: Bridgepoint is designed to achieve LEED NC Silver certification. A comprehensive approach to sustainable design includes a 30 percent reduction from Building Code requirements in water and energy use and improved air quality using high efficiency HEPA filters. Parking is below grade and secure bike locks are at grade. The landscaping utilizes native and adaptive plants which reduce water use. A green roof reduces the urban heat island effect. Fully 98 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfill. Legacy: Bridgepoint is the next chapter for a downtown Toronto site with a 150-year history of rehabilitation. The 19th-century Don Jail has been restored and re-imagined as the hospital’s administrative centre while the new facility introduces a new level of connectivity with the outside world with amenities such as rooftop garden terrace, meditative labyrinth and engaging social spaces that welcome the community.