September 20, 2012

Gow Hastings recognized for medical clinic

EVAN DION PHOTOGRAPHY

Seen above is a view of the reception area of an award-winning executive medical clinic in Toronto’s downtown business district.

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

The Toronto firm of Gow Hastings Architects Inc. has scored an honourable mention in the category of ambulatory care centres in a healthcare interior design competition sponsored by the Chicago-based International Interior Design Association.

The architecture and interior design firm was the only Canadian organization to be recognized in the inaugural competition, launched to celebrate originality and excellence in the planning and design of healthcare interior spaces.

Winners were selected by a panel of interior design professionals from more than 100 submissions from around the globe. Winners were announced in four categories.

“We are honoured that our project was amongst those chosen,” said architect Valerie Gow, whose firm was cited for an executive medical clinic in Toronto’s financial district.

“The clinic is our first significant healthcare project and we are proud that it has been recognized for its design.”

The project was completed in September 2011 by contractor Rae Brothers Ltd.

Located on the 15h floor of a business district tower, the 21,000-square-foot clinic houses “generous” lounges, a “sparkling” fitness facility and day-lit consultation rooms.

Corridors and patient lounges are strategically placed to open up to the natural light and surrounding views of the city and urban parks.

Gow Hastings said the clinic was designed to “uplift and inspire” through calmness.

An executive hospitality aesthetic was chosen to provide users with an “elite and restful” ambience.

The design “thoughtfully integrates” elements to diminish the clinical appearance such as integrated credenzas, lighting that “domesticates” the waiting areas and acoustic fabric ceiling panels that muffle ambient noise.

Flat-screen monitors for patient seminars and entertainment are recessed into wood walls.

Gow Hastings said patients “clearly navigate” from reception, to testing, consultation and assessment areas. A curved walnut veneer media wall features select newspapers and journals.

Food, laundry and laboratory testing are accessed through a service corridor away from patient view.

Other design competition categories were hospice care, hospitals, and senior living & residential health, care and support facilities. The other winning firms were all based in the United States.

Cheryl Durst, executive vice-president and CEO of IIDA said project solutions in each category “are true representatives of the power of design to promote and protect health and well-being.”

The association has more than 12,000 members practising in more than 50 countries.

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