Stantec says its distinguishing factor is its complete presence in North America.

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Although the general atmosphere of the healthcare industry has slowed down a bit, Stantec Architecture is still busy. In fact, the firm, which specializes in the design and retrofit of healthcare facilities, recently completed three high-profile projects, and is looking forward to a strong backlog in 2009. Designing projects in Canada, California and other parts of the United States, Vice President of Healthcare Bruce Raber says Stantec is truly a “North American-wide practice. Our distinguishing factor is that we are creating healthcare solutions in Canada and the United States through an integrated practice, architecture and engineering offices throughout North America.”   

In addition, Stantec places a high priority on research “in terms of design issues, so when we bring the information to our clients, they are research- and evidence-based solutions,” Raber states.   

Clients are looking for economical and sustainable solutions, Raber says. “They are interested in the relationship between capital cost and operational cost,” he continues. “Our goal as architects and engineers is to create solutions that improve the performance of their buildings and their clinical outcomes.  

“Our clients want to be involved in this kind of dialogue – through discussion and analysis [and] sometimes spending a little more money up front will bring better operational performance.”

Work on Mazankowski
Stantec finished its architecture and engineering work on the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute in May 2008. Working with cardiac design consultant KMD, Stantec provided interior design services, as well as electrical, mechanical, structural and performance engineering services. The $120 million five-story tower expansion will allow the facility to accommodate 600 more open-heart surgeries annually. The Mazankowski Institute is targeting LEED silver certification.   

“The challenge was how to physically build a new multi-level facility on top of the existing one-level emergency wing. Added to that was the complex interconnections between the existing hospital campus and the new heart center, and the need to maintain existing operations throughout construction,” Raber explains.   

“Drawing upon our extensive experience in designing large healthcare facilities, our solution included matching the floor-to-floor heights of the existing building, including interstitial service spaces.”    

In addition, work on the facility was split into multiple tender packages through a construction management process, which allowed the project to be completed on a fast-track basis.

Increasing Room Capacity
Stantec also worked on Modesto Memorial’s North Tower in Modesto, Calif. Completed in 2007, the 360,000-square-foot, seven-story addition also included expansion of the facility’s emergency department. Today, the facility has 424 beds and 18 operating rooms.    

“Modesto Memorial is the major referral hospital for a group of hospitals in the Central Valley of California that are affiliated with Sutter Health,” says John Sealander, Stantec’s senior project manager for the facility.    

“The main driver for the project was the need to increase operating room capacity and to replace the existing department, which has been remodeled over the years,” Sealander says. “At the same time, it was the opportunity to add the medical surgical beds.”    

Stantec added 112 beds on two floors and added two shelled-in floors for future expansions.

Feeling At Home
Stantec Architecture’s work on the design of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), a state-of-the-art regional facility in Ontario, Canada, was recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the notable projects in 2008. Stantec provided architecture, interior design and equipment planning for PRHC.   

The 715,000-square-foot facility is a full-service healthcare facility that offers 494 inpatient beds and full diagnostic and treatment facilities. PRHC occupies a 39-acre site positioned on one of the highest elevations in the city of Peterborough.   

“Our whole motivation for this project was to make it a true reflection of the community it serves,” Project Design Principal Michael Moxam says. “It started with the idea that when we are sick, wouldn’t we rather be at home. While a hospital could never be just like home, it can be a familiar, comforting place – an extension of the community you live in.”   

PRHC is located in an area where the Canadian Shield meets agricultural land, Moxam notes, and the design team took advantage of that. “Once you enter [the facility], you are visually reconnected to the community and the beautiful geography beyond,” Moxam says.  

“Strategically placed floor-to-ceiling glazing provides visual connection to the community and orients visitors as they move through the large facility. In the inpatient bedrooms, floor- to-ceiling windows provide a full community view, from street to sky, from the bed.”

Ongoing Research
Staying innovative helps Stantec acquire such projects. “We continue to stay current of all the technology and process changes that happen in healthcare,” Raber says, noting that Stantec travels worldwide to do its research.   

“We visited the Martini Hospital in The Netherlands this [past] year, and it is one of the most flexible and adaptable hospitals in the world. When clients [in the United States and Canada] talk about flexibility, they aren’t always sure how to achieve it. So, we travel and look at ideas that are not in North America yet.”   

Raber says that the Martini Hospital was designed around the concept of the Industrial, Flexible and Demountable building system. “Every element in that hospital was designed with that thought in mind,” he states. “Every wall is demountable and movable to adapt to changes over time, and it is an approach that we are beginning to introduce to our clients here, as well.”  

Founded in 1954, Stantec claims to be the world-class leader and innovator in the delivery of sustainable solutions. “In simple terms, the world of Stantec is the water we drink, the routes we travel, the buildings we visit, the industries in which we work, and the neighborhoods we call home,” it states.   

In the future, Raber says he looks forward to continuing to serve current and future clients with the most innovative and sustainable solutions available.