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Kipling Integrated Health Care Facility by Bill Armstrong courtesy sun country HealtH region W hen Toronto-based Farrow Partnership Architects Inc. received the design brief for the proposed Kipling Integrated Health Care Facility, team leader Tye Farrow and his team developed about 15 design variations, all of which "turned the usual idea of a health care facility inside out, moving away from straight lines and sharp edges," Farrow says. The $25.1-million facility under con- struction at Kipling, Saskatchewan, will replace an older long-term care facility and a separate health care centre in the community of just over 1,000. The new building will house 32 long- term care residents in private rooms, with 12 acute care beds and one multi- purpose bed. Construction began in June 2013, using a design-build model. Farrow Partnership's design stems from a belief that there is no such thing as neutral space; that what we build either promotes or erodes our health. "Different spaces have signifi- cant impacts on how we feel," Farrow observes. "We need to become better critics of what makes a space healthy or not." Accordingly, the Farrow team produced a design with plenty of curves inside and out: bringing the chang- ing prairie light into the building and enabling those inside to connect with each other and the landscape, while also meeting the practical needs of an integrated health care facility. The centrepiece is a curved, circu- lar driveway – called Kipling Commons – leading up to the building, which Farrow likens to a familiar, welcoming embrace. A circular, single-loaded pri- mary circulation corridor connects the two main wings of the building. Large windows fill the corridor with natural light, allowing patients, families and visitors to see the main reception, wait- ing and outpatient areas. A wood and timber porch canopy covers the single-storey entrance. Part of the building facade will be covered in a cementitious and fibrous material and painted in a spectrum of colours moving from cool blue to earthy red. "We want people to have a clear sense of arrival; that they're in good hands," Farrow says. Laureen Snook of Crosby Hanna & Associates adds that stately elm trees will line the circular drive to rein- force the welcoming first impression of the centre. "The second part of this sequence is the vehicle turnaround," Snook explains. "The feeling here will be lush and vibrant, with bermed planted areas to reinforce the separation of this space from the roadway. Sturdy benches will be provided, where staff, patients and residents can relax or wait for rides." Rather than using a longer, double- loaded corridor in the acute care unit, Farrow's design splits it into two short corridors. This improves the sightlines from the nursing station to the inpatient areas, allows more natural light into the corridor and reduces the walking required by nurses and clinical staff. The long-term care unit was designed using the "Eden Alternative" or "New Eden" concepts that address the issues of boredom, loneliness and helplessness common to residents in such facilities. The design brief called for a "home-like" environment, but as Farrow notes, the term may mean different things to different people, especially with residents coming from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Again, the design uses single-loaded corridors to create two "neighbour- hoods" with 16 rooms on each corridor, joined by a common area with a hearth and fireplace. Clerestory windows above the common area will bring in natural light, while a porch and veran- dah will lead into a circular garden where residents can walk, explore and interact with the landscape. The flow- erbed closest to the building will be a memory garden filled with perennials and annuals. The courtyard will fea- ture several apple trees, with the apples being harvested as part of the resident programming. "The shape of the walk in this area anticipates that two raised garden boxes will be installed that resi- dents will use for annual and vegetable planting," Snook says. The courtyard also includes space for a play area where children and grandchildren can visit with residents. Primarily of wood construction, the building is a concrete slab-on-grade, with in-floor radiant heating, rather than forced air. Temperature control is especially important to long-term care residents, explains John Knoch, the VP of finance and corporate services for Sun Country Health Region. "We think people will appreciate the in-floor heat. From a practical perspective, with one heating unit in an integrated facility, we hope to see lower energy costs," he adds. Knoch also appreciates that the design will reduce the amount of walk- ing that staff will be required to do, free- ing up time for more hands-on patient care. The shorter corridors will also mean long-term residents will be closer to the central dining and socializing area. "Having two serveries supplied by one kitchen will also be a practical ben- efit, because it's difficult to get enough qualified cooks in small towns." The health region is also refining its supply chain processes, so the storage area will be smaller than in older facili- ties. The design includes a back corridor that allows residents and patients to be transported to diagnostic imaging and specimen collection services without passing through public areas. With the project expected to be completed in late 2014, Knoch says he is eagerly anticipating the stage where you can get a better sense of the build- ing. "We're looking forward to opening a facility designed to deliver modern, quality health care," Knoch adds. n location 906 Industrial Avenue, Kipling, Saskatchewan owner/Developer Sun Country Health Region project Manager MHPM Project Managers Inc. architect Farrow Partnership Architects Inc. / Number TEN Architectural Group Design-BuilD contractor VanMar Constructors Inc. structural consultant Weiler Smith Bowers Mechanical/electrical consultant MCW Consultants Ltd. lanDscape architect Crosby Hanna & Associates total area 47,500 square feet total cost $25.1 million courtesy Farrow PartnersHiP arcHitects february 2014 /71 Kipling Integrated Health Care facility p70-71Kipling.indd 71 14-01-23 10:09 AM