According to Stanford Children’s Health, the expansion will include six new surgical suites, a nuclear medicine department, three new imaging units, four diagnostic units including a cardiac “hybrid” angiography suite and more than 3.5 acres of healing gardens comprising native and adaptive vegetation.

“There are also several features that will make the new building friendlier for kids and their families,” according to Stanford Medical Magazine. “The sculptures in the garden outside the cafeteria will double as climbing structures — most of these, including an enormous wolf’s head fashioned from river rocks, have already been installed.”

The expansion will provide more access to innovative technology and top-of-the-line treatments as physicians continue to provide superior care to pediatric and obstetric patients. More than 800 physicians, surgeons, radiologists, nurses and parents have supported it, according to a hospital statement.

By making the hospital a more family-friendly place to be, the expansion will help to improve the lives of patients and their families by easing the stress of a hospital visit or long-term stay.

A story corner and broadcast studio will be included in the hospital design to make it easier for children to spend long hours waiting for family members who have been admitted, according to Stanford Medical Magazine. Each of the patient rooms will have a pull-out couch designed to sleep two people. The hospital believes these features will ease the tension associated with long-term or temporary hospital stays.

The hospital has also made an effort to improve the patient experience by selecting local and organic food choices to be served in the cafeteria and vending machines. Green housekeeping and a comprehensive recycling program will be put in place to help ensure waste is reduced.

By improving the quality of care, the hospital will also take on a more sustainable outlook. Outside, electric vehicle charging stations have been installed. Inside, water-efficient bathroom fixtures replace standard faucets and toilets. This will reduce potable water usage by 30 percent, according to a hospital statement. Rainwater, wastewater and condensation will be harvested to meet 100 percent of the irrigation needs for landscaping. This will help save more than 684,000 gallons of water per year.

To power the hospital, a renewable energy system has been put in place. This includes a wind turbine that will work to power a portion of the new renovation.

Perkins+Will, located in Chicago, and HGA Architects and Engineers, located in Minneapolis, are working on the design of the project. The Sobrato Family Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and corporate partners have contributed more than $250 million to the hospital.

The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford officially opened its doors to the community in 1991. Since then, it has provided extraordinary care to infants, children and expectant mothers from the community.

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The addition of a second building doubled the size of the hospital. PCL Constructors, Canada Inc. worked with B+H Architects to expand and enhance lab space to allow for more automated test results. Together the companies transformed the old Emergency Center into a new Cancer Center and designed two sets of operating centers. Building A has been designed for one-day procedures and includes 6 new operating rooms. Building B has 10 new operating rooms that have been reserved for larger and more serious cases. This new space has the ability to use minimally invasive technology for surgeries.

The new building will be a “calm, simple building without a lot of details,” said Suman Bahl, vice president of corporate services and capital development at Markham Stouffville Hospital, in a statement. The $400 million project was able to recycle 90 percent of the waste created by construction. PCL Constructors was able to divert the waste, such as concrete, metal, wood and drywall from going to landfills by using it in different parts of the hospital.

Construction, which began in December of 2010, was finished on August 20, 2014. Due to the process of obtaining LEED certification, the hospital was not certified as LEED Silver until a full year later. Some of the components added to the facility to help with the certification were a white roof membrane and green roof areas, exterior lighting designed to minimize light pollution and the installation of low-flow fixtures to reduce water usage throughout the hospital. Mike Wieninger, Vice President and district manager for PCL Constructors Inc. said, “By nature, hospitals require more air exchanges and water than typical buildings, making them more sophisticated to construct sustainably.” By installing the low-flow fixtures, PCL Constructors and the Markham Stouffville Hospital are going to be able to save 40 percent on water usage.

B+H Architects and PCL Constructors did not just focus on making the building sustainable and green after construction. During the project, 16 percent of the materials came from recycled content. The companies also tried to source locally with 31 percent of the material being manufactured and harvested with 800 km’s of the project or 2,400 km’s from the project if shipped by railway or water.

Markham Stouffville Hospital will be the first hospital in Ontario to build a central utility plant that supplies thermal energy, electricity and emergency power through the Markham District Energy, which will save them an estimated 37 percent on energy.

The hospital also wants to inform their staff on the importance of sustainability and what they will be able to do to help with energy savings. The former Intensive Care Unit has been converted into a learning center for the staff and is connected to the city’s Cornell Community Center. The staff at Markham Stouffville Hospital are still getting used to the new system and ways that they can achieve maximum efficiency.

While planning and building the new expansion the goal was to balance energy efficiency, patient comfort, and a healthy work environment. Bahl said, “We are proud to deliver on our promise of a green building as part of our pledge to provide enhanced care and a state-of-the-art work environment.” By building the expansion by LEED certifications, they were able to achieve the sustainable and comfortable environment they aimed for.

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