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Sechelt Hospital, a 3-storey L-shaped structure at dusk

Sechelt Hospital

Location: Sechelt, B.C.
Architects:

Farrow Partners in association with Perkins&Will
Completion: 2013
Photo credit: Latreille & Delage

Size
5,400 square metres

Owner
Vancouver Coastal Health

Structural Engineer
Fast + Epp

Construction Manager
Graham Construction and Engineering

Wood Supplier
Mercer Mass Timber LLC

Structural systems
Low rise
Post + beam

Project materials
Glue-laminated timber (Glulam)
Lumber
Millwork

Species
Douglas-fir
Western red cedar

Design is inspired by Indigenous traditions

Wood breathes new life into the Sechelt Hospital renovation, constructed on land donated by the shíshálh Nation (external link), its design is inspired by Indigenous traditions that integrate the natural environment and the local culture into the healing process.

Located on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, the Sechelt Hospital project involved the renovation of an existing district hospital, the expansion of the emergency department, new diagnostic imaging, ambulatory and special care facilities, as well as a two-storey patient wing and entrance lobby.

Wood breathes new life into this hospital renovation

From the onset, the design team embraced the idea of wood as a healing and health-promoting material. Wood features most prominently in the double-height volume of the lobby, where the roof rests on glulam columns made of Douglas-fir, reflecting the traditional post and beam construction of coastal longhouses. Reclaimed Douglas-fir was used to create slatted ceilings in the public areas of the building. A secondary structure in the roof of horizontal and vertical glulam columns supports a glazed curtain wall, providing lateral resistance against wind loads. 

Features local Indigenous art and craftmanship

With its curved corners and muted natural tones, the exterior form and finishes of the building evoke the traditional bent-wood cedar boxes used by the shíshálh people for storing sacred objects. Both structural and non–structural wood elements are elegantly detailed, to compliment the nearly 20 metre-long western red cedar mural that runs the length of the lobby, carved by artists of the shíshálh Nation. The mural includes a canoe in which everyone paddles together—a symbol of the friendship and collaboration between all members of the community.

“There is a strong relationship between the use of wood in the built environment and the effects on health outcomes. This is further enhanced when there are strong cultural ties to nature. This project drew upon the use of wood as a design concept and as a building material essential to the aboriginal lifestyle.”

LARRY HARDER, FMR DIRECTOR, CAPITAL PROJECTS – DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION, VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH / PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE AND PROVINCIAL HEALTH SERVICES
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