The new Patient Support Centre, the first major step of Project Horizon, The Hospital for Sick Children’s (SickKids) multi-year campus transformation, was officially unveiled. This marks the end of major construction activities of the new training, education and administrative tower.
On September 28, 2023, PCL Construction and B+H Architects joined SickKids, SickKids Foundation and partners to celebrate this monumental milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Seeing the PSC move from vision to reality is an exciting moment for Project Horizon – and for SickKids. We’re thrilled to be taking this first critical step in our campus redevelopment project with the completion of this education, training and administrative tower. With the PSC complete, we will be able to start moving approximately 3000 staff members over to the building, which enables us to start our many renovation projects on our way to a new hospital. Thank you to our partners for helping us reach this goal – and a big thank you to our staff, who contributed their time, energy and effort to not only help plan and design this building, but also to a future vision of SickKids,” said Kyle Robinson, Chief Redevelopment & Sustainable Facilities Officer, SickKids
Designed with connectivity and community in mind, the 22-storey Patient Support Centre is home to the SickKids Learning Institute, which supports more than 1,000 world-class trainees, students and learners annually. The building also includes a state-of-the-art Simulation Centre for hands-on teaching in a bright, modern workspace for clinicians, professionals, management and support staff.
The New Hospital for Sick Children project is No. 30 on ReNew Canada’s 2023 Top100 Projects report.
“Completing construction on the Patient Support Centre and bringing the first phase of SickKids’ vision for Project Horizon to life has been an incredible feat by the hospital, all of the partners and the hundreds of tradespeople who contributed to this project,” said Monique Buckberger, vice president and district manager of PCL Toronto. “From preconstruction planning to final execution, this project truly demonstrates the power of collaboration and dedication and is an accomplishment that is something to be proud of.”
A workforce of approximately 300 tradespeople at the peak of construction influenced an outstanding safety culture that resulted in more than 980,000 hours worked without a lost time injury (LTI). With a complex construction management schedule executed next to an active hospital site, this significant milestone was achieved safely and on schedule.
“Now completed, the Patient Support Centre is a bold addition to Toronto’s urban fabric and the SickKids campus,” said Patrick Fejér, Project Design Lead and CEO of B+H. “The building’s undulating façade and blue ribbon staircase are entry points to an environment that tends to staff wellbeing, guided by the knowledge that patient care requires caring for staff.”
With a strong focus on health and wellness for staff who lead and support clinical care, the Patient Support Centre design integrates purpose-built healing and green features such as a floor-to-ceiling glass façade and terraced green roofs. Striving for excellence in sustainable design and construction, the new building is aiming to comply with Toronto’s Tier 3 and 4 Building Standards and achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.
Starting in October 2023, SickKids staff will start to move into the PSC. Move-ins will occur sequentially from October until June 2024.
Project Team:
- Owner: The Hospital for Sick Children
- Design Firm: B+H Architects
- Construction Manager: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
- Vertical Transportation Consultant: KJA Consultants
- Structural Engineer: Entuitive
- Mechanical Consultant: The Mitchell Partnership
- Electrical Consultant: Mulvey & Banani
