Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital celebrates the completion of its historic Bloorview Research Institute (BRI) expansion with the unveiling of its newly constructed, 11,000-square-foot research tower. Through its new facilities, equipment and talent, the BRI is now home to the largest concentration of pediatric disability research in the world. This critical milestone leads to ground-breaking discoveries that will enhance the quality of life for children and youth with disabilities and developmental differences – about 400,000 in Canada and millions worldwide.
The expansion of the BRI’s enterprise increases its potential to generate an even more significant impact and ultimately lead to healthier, more inclusive futures for children and families locally and worldwide. In addition to the elevated, two-storey Jason Smith Research Tower, the expansion also includes a renovation of the existing 17,000-square-foot research space. Gow Hastings Architects collaborated with the hospital to create these uniquely specialized and accessible facilities, encouraging connections between researchers and families. Considering that the research at the BRI is conducted with the assistance of children who use the hospital, the design of the research facilities had to be approachable to them.
Every facet of the new spaces was designed to feel safe, open, accessible, and inviting. The new wing connects to the existing fourth floor of the BRI via an open and accessible flex space. Conceived as a public ‘front porch,’ this is where families can meet informally with researchers and staff. The flex space leads to communal and interdisciplinary Discovery Hubs – incorporated within both the new wing and the renovated space of the hospital’s fourth floor. The design of these fully reconfigurable Hubs eases the rehabilitation process by creating collaborative and adaptable spaces for specialized research, with areas of focus that include expanded capabilities for the BRI, machine learning, brain-body interfacing, gaming and app development, Autism research, neuromodulation, and rapid prototyping.
Open offices within the Discovery Hubs foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing across disciplines. Gow Hastings’ team designed features for the BRI that extend beyond AODA guidelines: extra wide doors and hallways, door operating devices along busy pathways, colour contrast between walls, floors, and doors to assist with navigation for the visually impaired, as well as height-adjustable desks in workspaces. The project aimed to bring about a direct connection with and minimal impact on the surrounding natural environment. Seen from the outside, the new wing is a a playful addition to the original building, with brightly-coloured aluminum composite cladding sitting over columns three storeys above grade.
The research tower's reflective aluminum soffit expands the hospital's outdoor space, reflecting the surrounding nature. Much like a treehouse, the tower suspends over the Sunnybrook Ravine and offers leafy views in all directions. Children can also enjoy a fully-accessible playground on the hospital's west side. The project was designed to a high standard for sustainability, incorporating low-energy footprint materials at every opportunity and to support scientists and researchers with innovative spaces that are conducive to improving children’s lives.
