Bridgepoint Active Healthcare has been recognized internationally with a 2016 Civic Trust Award. The Toronto project won the jurors’ favour for demonstrating excellence in architecture, sustainability and universal design. The building was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, Stantec, KPMB and HDR.
Bridgepoint is the only award winner from Canada and one of only three from North America among a global roster of 58 projects selected from hundreds of submissions. The UK-based built environment awards program recognizes projects that demonstrate a positive social, cultural, environmental or economic benefit to the local community.
“This recognition adds to a growing list of awards for Bridgepoint, which was designed to connect this complex continuing care and rehabilitation hospital with community, with nature, and to empower patients in their own recovery by applying the principles of salutogenic design,” said Greg Colucci, principal, with Diamond Schmitt Architects.
Bridgepoint optimizes its ravine setting by providing expansive views and an abundance of natural light to create an uplifting and restorative environment for patients and staff. Other key strategies are windows that allow patients lying in bed to have unobstructed sightlines, a meditative labyrinth, a therapy pool overlooking a park and a green roof terrace. The hospital’s administrative office is located in the adjacent former Don Jail (1864), which has been preserved and restored from a place of incarceration to one of innovation.
“Our design was focused equally on city-building and community engagement as it was about creating an architecture of wellness,” said Bruce Kuwabara, Partner with KPMB Architects.
Previous recognition for the 680,000-square-foot hospital in downtown Toronto includes a National Healthcare Design Award from The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH); an OAA Award for Design Excellence and the Canadian Interiors – Best of Canada Design Awards, Institutional category.
Bridgepoint Active Healthcare is designed by: Stantec Architecture / KPMB Architects, Planning, Design and Compliance Architects HDR Architecture / Diamond Schmitt Architects, Design, Build, Finance and Maintain Architects.