Stories

Building Blocks Design a New Acute Hospital

5 February 2025

Since mid-September 2024, 250 user group (team) members have been meeting with the Redevelopment Team and its consultant team to identify every program, service and activity that will be delivered in the new acute hospital being built in Waterloo, and the resources and space required to ultimately deliver those services. The 42 user groups achieved a major milestone on January 17^th and completed that work, called Functional Programming. Participants have provided incredible insight and input into the planning of the community’s new hospital.

Having completed that work, the focus over the next four months now turns to block diagrams – think Lego. Working with the architectural firm of Stantec, team members will use the information from Functional Programming to determine, “how do the “pieces” (departments/services) fit together to help determine the potential lay-out of the new hospital building to make it the most efficient and logical for patients, families and team members?”

A critical component of this phase focuses on how the building will function, such as how will materials move throughout the building, what are the best routes inside and outside of the building, what signage and wayfinding is needed and where, and what mechanical and electrical systems are needed and aligned with being environmentally friendly? A lot of questions to ponder for input.

To kick-off this work, a half-day education and information session was held on Tuesday, January 28^th. Members of Stantec’s team outlined the work to be completed in the coming months, and the 250 participants at the session gathered in small groups using “Lego” building pieces to determine how the hospital could be positioned on the 69.6 acres of land in Waterloo. Each group had unique thoughts and suggestions which will be further explored in the coming months at user group meetings with the architects.

Once block diagrams is completed, all the documentation will be collated for a June 2025 Functional Program submission required by the Ministry of Health for their review, input and approval.  Thank you to all the team members for your commitment and focus to work with us through this critical planning process to date.

Members of the user group teams attending the Block Design kick-off on January 28^th, use building blocks to design how the new acute hospital could be built in Waterloo.