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Hay River Health Centre

Faced with regional factors such as extreme cold, sparse population, unique scheduling, logistical challenges, and a four-month winter shutdown, Bird completed the design and construction of the new Hay River Health Centre, replacing the existing hospital that was built in 1965. The new facility serves a population of over 5,500 people from Hay River and surrounding remote communities. It focuses on providing medical services on an outpatient basis, reflecting the continental shift to ambulatory care. The facility also has 16 inpatient hospital beds and provides primary care, acute and emergency care services, and medical/surgical day care.

Client
Government of Northwest Territories
Consultant
Rockliff Pierzchjlo Architects & Planners Ltd.
Contract Type
Design-Build
Project Size
6,874 sq. m
(74,000 sq. ft)
Duration
23 months
Project Value
$52,300,000
Interior hallway showing colourful windows

The single-storey, pile-supported, steel frame structure with a prefinished metal panel system includes a cement fibre panel to withstand the extreme weather. Based on its size and location, a single-storey building was determined to be more efficient and cost-effective. A stringent code-compliant air handling system, exceeding the CSA standards for airborne isolation, was a priority to allow the facility to meet infection control requirements.

Bird’s revised building design not only yielded better overall circulation while maintaining required adjacencies, but it streamlined the construction schedule and significantly reduced operating costs by almost $1,000,000 annually over the previous design.