Misericordia Community Hospital

The new Emergency Department at Misericordia Community Hospital will provide state of the art facilities to an existing hospital in vital need of expansion. The original emergency department opened in 1969 and was operating well over its original design capacity of 20,000 visitors per year.  The new 54,000 square foot facility is designed to accommodate 60,000 visitors per year, and nearly triples the available patient care spaces.

As opposed to a traditional tendering method the owner utilized a qualifications-based selection process to choose the consulting and construction management team, where the team was chosen entirely on merit without consideration to fees.

The new emergency department is an essential piece of public infrastructure where maintaining full operations 24/7 is paramount. A holistic approach by the design team was crucial given the critical nature of both form and function for a successful emergency department. To allow servicing and future systems upgrades an interstitial space was provided above the main floor to house the vast mechanical and electrical service runs, as well as provide additional flexibility for future upgrades that would not interfere with hospital operations.

In coordination with the design team Fast + Epp developed an interconnected steel structure which supports both the interstitial floor level and roof above. The structure utilizes 3m storey-deep trusses to accommodate the long spans and minimize the overall structural depth. The unconventional shape developed for the trusses enabled large areas of the interstitial level to be kept open for mechanical and electrical services, as well as walking corridors.

The new state-of the art emergency facility will provide vital relief from overcrowded waiting rooms and allow the hospital to provide the highest level of service for surrounding communities in Edmonton for years to come.