LOCATION ARCHITECTS SURREY MEMORIAL Surrey, British Columbia CEI Architecture Planning Interiors; Parkin Architects SIZE HOSPITAL 59,400 m2 WOOD SUPPLIER StructureCraft Builders Inc. CAPACITY EMERGENCY 151 additional beds (including ENGINEER intensive care), expanded Bush Bohlman and Partners laboratory, added academic space DEPARTMENT AND B.C. GOVERNMENT MINISTRY COMPLETION Ministry of Health CRITICAL CARE TOWER 2013 Project Overview Visiting a hospital can be a stressful experience, so when the visual presence of wood in a room is both psychologically and British Columbia Ministry of Health was designing the Surrey physiologically beneficial2. Memorial Hospital expansion, the architects were asked to When construction began in 2011, the Emergency Department come up with a warm, natural facility that would also meet and Critical Care Tower expansion was the largest health care rigorous building performance demands. project in the history of British Columbia, serving Fraser To achieve these ends, the design used wood in structural and Health Authority’s fastest growing community. The project decorative components. The lobby features exposed wood adds acute care beds, a new emergency department, a and provides a sense of calm for all in a stressful environment. specialized mental health and pediatric area, an adult Wood use throughout the public areas of the hospital intensive care unit, a neonatal centre of excellence, more expansion reinforces the connection to nature, helping to space for the clinical academic campus of the University of reduce stress and anxiety for both visitors and patients1. British Columbia’s School of Medicine, and a laboratory with the latest medical technology. Research shows people respond emotionally to wood and are attracted to its visual variety and natural expressiveness; the Photos: Ed White Photographics, courtesy of CEI Architecture and Parkin Architects “The use of exposed wood in a project is one of the ways that we can improve conditions for our patients. Wood conveys a sense of warmth and comfort that supports the healing environment and improves the overall patient experience.” Peter Goldthorpe, Vice President, Capital Projects Real Estate & Facilties, Fraser Health Providence Health Care Wood Features NATURAL CHOICE, CLEAR Columbia and FPInnovations BENEFITS – Surrey Memorial found wood interiors reduce used wood for canopies and stress by creating a cladding because it responds comforting, supportive and well to rigorous maintenance healing environment2. procedures, resists weather WOOD FINISHES: HEALTHY AND and UV damage, and looks HEALING – Wood products and fantastic 2. Wood is a natural finishes used for the millwork, choice for sustainable interior walls and acoustic building construction; paneling in the hospital help to wood-based building designs control air-borne contaminants have a lower energy and because they are easy to carbon footprint. maintain, dust-free after A COMFORTABLE, HEALING installation, and emit few, if any, ENVIRONMENT – The harmful vapours3. hospital’s new lobby features MODERN WOOD PRODUCTS: exposed structural timbers, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE panelling and millwork, – Surrey Memorial’s roof was creating the impression the made with prefabricated panels ceiling is being held up by designed to achieve long spans trees. Wood provides a with minimum connections. tangible connection to Wood was used for exterior nature and the outdoors, and soffits and, in composite form, offers an aesthetic appeal for some of the cladding and Photos: Ed White Photographics, courtesy of CEI Architecture and Parkin Architects unmatched by other building 1 exterior walls. materials . Research by the University of British FOR MORE INFORMATION 1 Fell D.2002. Consumer Visual Evaluation of Canadian Wood Species. FPInnovations, Vancouver, Canada. 2 Rice J, Kozak Robert A, Meitner Michael J, and Cohen David H; 2006 Appearance Wood Products and This profile is published by Forestry Innovation Investment, the Psychological Wellbeing, Society of Wood Science and Technology. Government of British Columbia’s market development agency for 3 Wood in Healthcare: A Natural Choice for Enhancing Human Well-Being. NaturallyWood 2012. forest products. http://www.naturallywood.com/sites/default/files/Wood-in-Healthcare.pdf For more examples of innovative wood building projects throughout British Columbia, visit: naturallywood.com The wood grain featured in this profile is Douglas-fir. PROJECT PROFILE | 2016.