Orleans Health is a new 90,000-square-foot community hospital in Ontario, Canada, opening in October 2021 in Orleans, an eastern suburb of Ottawa.designer HDR (Kingston-Ottawa, Canada), the Wellness Centre consists of seven different health care and community organizations integrating health, condition management and specialist outpatient services.

Orleans Health Center aims to be a one-stop health shop. With community support programs such as counseling and health-focused retail, the design also simplifies services for local residents and patients with multiple chronic conditions.

While the center’s collaborative approach suggests a new way to provide primary and secondary healthcare, its unique location encourages reconnecting with the natural realm. Located near the Ottawa River and Petrie Island, the project is inspired by nature from the outside in.

For example, the natural canals of Petrie Island informed the development of the internal spine, the main organizational element of the hub. A system of trails connects to the nearby community, inviting patients and the community to enjoy outdoor recreation. The reintroduction of longgrass meadows and native plants will re-naturalize the landscape, providing respite to the growing suburb. Exterior wood cladding, structural mass of wood, carefully crafted wood corridors and living green walls are examples of environmentally relevant material choices.

Orleans Health is a partnership between Bruyère, Ottawa Youth Services, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa Eastern Resource Centre, Hôpital Montfort, ParaMed, Ottawa Public Health, Ottawa Geriatric Psychiatry Community Services and Home and Community Care Support Services Plan.

Project details:

Facility Name: Orleans Health Center

Location: Orleans, Ontario, Canada

Completion date: October 2021

Owner: Montfort Hospital

Gross Floor Area: 90,000 sq. ft.

Total construction cost: $59.2 million

Cost/sq.ft.: N/A

Architectural Firm: HDR

Interior Design: HDR

General Contractor: Ellis Don

Builder: Ontario Infrastructure