Water-conscious health care for children and youth at the Slocan Site
For over a century, the “Slocan Site” at Slocan Street and 21st Avenue has been a cornerstone of health care in Vancouver, evolving from a smallpox isolation hospital in 1912 to Sunny Hill Hospital for Children in 1961. With Sunny Hill’s move to BC Children’s Hospital in 2020, a new opportunity arose to reimagine the site’s future for children and their families.
Slated to open in 2028, the new BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Health Complexity will be the first of its kind in the country. This facility will provide services and supports for children with complex health needs while setting a high standard for environmental stewardship, including water conservation.
The Slocan Site will be home to the first hybrid mass timber health-care facility. I’m very proud we’re using this material as a low-carbon solution,” says Juan Jose Cruz Martinez, senior director, Major Capital Projects, PHSA. “When trees grow, they capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A mass timber structure also requires less water and energy to produce than an equivalent concrete or steel structure.”
Health care facilities consume vast amounts of water. This redevelopment embeds water efficiency into its design, meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification and the City of Vancouver’s Green Building Policy standards. Targeted results include a 50 per cent reduction in outdoor water use over the initial business case design, aligning with LEED scorecard points. The amount of rainwater flowing into the city’s drainage system will be less than it was before the redevelopment, helping to prevent flooding in the area. This is particularly important as we are seeing increasingly heavy rainfalls as a result of climate change.
Preserved and integrated into the landscape design are mature trees. These trees provide significant stormwater benefits. Their shade helps lower ambient temperatures and heat island effects, reducing water evaporation from ground cover and soil, retaining moisture within the ecosystem.
Water use is reduced through low-flow plumbing fixtures, ensuring compliance with LEED conservation targets. The landscape design emphasizes water conservation: it retains mature trees and includes drought-tolerant plants, efficient irrigation systems and non-potable water for outdoor irrigation. This approach exceeds municipal water reduction objectives and helps keep pollutants out of the city’s sewer systems.
Water management is enhanced through sub-metering for irrigation, laundry and domestic hot water systems, allowing precise monitoring and control. The City of Vancouver’s integrated approach ensures resilient and sustainable water systems, both on-site and within the buildings.
Incorporating water efficiency into the redevelopment of the historic Slocan Site honours the site’s rich legacy, including its use by the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations for hunting and gathering food and medicine. This project sets a precedent for future health care developments to harmonize with the environment, continuing a tradition of care for people and the land.
