Farrow Partnership Architects is part of the team selected to design a new complex care community residential centre and campus of care in Mission, British Columbia. Working with VanMar Constructors Inc., through a Design Build Competition, with Vancouver-based associate architects KMBR Architects, Farrow has created a design that evokes an “architecture of wellness” for the facilities, which will be located adjacent to the existing Mission Memorial Hospital in the Fraser Valley. The building is seen to be the first of its type to be rolled out across British Columbia in the near future.
The campus of care for seniors will be approximately 12,000 square metres in size with 200 residential care beds for people with complex health care needs, as well as a day program for other adults. A community health centre on the campus will be approximately 2,500 square metres and will feature a range of programs such as primary care, a diabetes clinic, a seniors’ clinic, public health care, mental health and addiction care.
The project takes its design inspiration from the traditional west coast First Nation sun crest with a series of arms extending outward and radiating around a central sun figure, a design that reflects the local culture of the region and the peoples who have helped shape the land and the surrounding communities. This design welcomes a new spirit of community partnership, collaboration and engagement and demonstrates a commitment to providing exceptional patient care in a truly integrated health model. The design consists of a combination of three-storey radiating arms organized around the central courtyard and a pair of two-storey, L-shaped wings located to best integrate with the existing hospital and site conditions. The radiating residential wings follow this path to allow for increased views to the river valley beyond. This layout allows for more daylight to enter the bedrooms as the residential wings move farther apart at the outer edges.
“The design team understands the importance of clinical functionality and its impact on the overall performance of the facilities,” said Tye Farrow, senior partner at Farrow Partnership. “We also believe that one of the strongest needs for the human condition is to be part of a welcoming community. Users of the health centre and the campus of care will be able to be treated in their own community, near their families, in an inspiring light-bathed environment.”
The exterior central court is seen as the heart of the scheme and acts as both a social and organizing device for the public spaces within each residential unit. Common spaces (dining, lounge, multipurpose / activity areas and outdoor terraces) and clinical areas (care stations, staff rooms) are intentionally grouped together around this central court. This arrangement allows for the maximum amount of daylight to enter the public areas while providing sweeping views of a verdant green space for both users and staff and ensuring that the court acts as a way-finding device as residents can orient themselves to the light and views.
The pairs of dining rooms, flooded with daylight from windows facing the internal courtyard, are designed to promote socialization and interaction. Located at the crux of the two residential units, or the hub of the “neighbourhood”, the dining areas are an orientation point and can be seen as representing a community square or familiar gathering place. Additionally, this open area within the plan can be seen and accessed from multiple vantage points.
Staff spaces, including nursing stations and quiet rooms on all floors, ensure that staff members share the same benefits as residents with ample access to natural light and views as well as open collaborative areas to share ideas and promote integration, and ultimately improve clinical outcomes.