At Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, there are 472 vertical windows—one for each patient. Hospital rooms were designed to give every patient—sitting or supine—an unobstructed view, horizontally and vertically.

The design strategy was focused on enhancing the connection between patients and their community, the surrounding nature and the urban environment. It also included features that increase social interactions, inspiring physical activity to facilitate healing.

The architectural solution prioritizes de-institutionalization with spaces for socialization and spaces with direct access to the healing benefits of nature. A series of focal points were developed to promote the goals of wellness: a civic piazza, therapeutic gardens, a communal urban ‘porch’, green terraces and roof gardens, a therapy pool, and a meditative labyrinth.

The design evolved in parallel to North America’s largest post-occupancy study to assess the impact of design on health and well-being. Many design elements incorporated into Bridgepoint have been proven to provide enhanced healing outcomes.

One of the main challenges was to transform the dark history of the strong neoclassical architecture of the Don Jail from a penal institution into the administrative offices for this health centre. This was achieved with a complete interior transformation including a bridge connection to the new hospital’s clinical components. The design dramatically alters a site stigmatized by a history of isolation and penal reform, turning it into a connected campus of wellness.