Algoma Public Healfh Unit
The new Algoma Public Health Unit building in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario consolidates all of the public health programs under one roof. Previously, these programs were located in five different offices spread throughout the city. Algoma Public Health programs include family health, sexual health, mental health, parent and early child, environmental health, dental health, immunization and administrative services, says Leo Vecchio, media coordinator with the Algoma Public Health Unit
Located on the northwest corner of the Sault College campus, the building is composed of masonry, prefinished metal cladding, composite sandwich panels and curtain wall. Red clay brick was applied at the buildings podium level to complement the scale and colour of the adjacent buildings. The three - storey vertical building elements are clad in a charcoal grey - coloured brick and galvanized corrugated metal siding.
The location of the Algoma Public Health Unit presented two design challenges. First, the location on the Sault College campus required that the building be integrated in a manner that was congruent with the campus, explains Franco Pastore, principal architect with EPOH Inc. Architects and Consulting Engineers. "The problem, however, was that the college is also going through a state of redevelopment and renewal," explains Pastore, who is also involved in the design of the new Sault College academic wing. "It is our hope that the palette of materials used will be applied to existing and future campus buildings. Our architectural vision is to see the entire campus eventually synchronize with this palette."
The second design challenge was the buildings location adjacent to a residential neighbourhood. "We needed to be sensitive to the scale of the surrounding buildings and their use," explains Pastore. A rounded structure was used to avoid hard edges and faces that could potentially intimidate the neighbouring houses. "The resulting curved facade leads one to the main entrance which faces south, away from the nearest major vehicular/pedestrian thoroughfare," says Vecchio. "The curved facade also accommodates the suns moving path from morning to late afternoon to maximize available natural light."
Co - location with Sault College also creates opportunities to share infrastructure, information technology and facility maintenance between the public health unit and the educational institution. Four classrooms in the Algoma Public Health Unit will be shared with the college for programming related to public health, and general health care.
This will also enhance the colleges health science programs.
The Algoma Public Health Units programs are proactive and involve promotion and education. A Health Promotion Hall links the Health Unit with the college and serves as a public thoroughfare. The two - storey lobby, which is naturally lit, also allows for displays and educational components for students to have exposure to public health. Two rooftop terraces with landscaped gardens will be used to deliver educational programs as well as provide opportunities for staff relaxation.
The primary design focused heavily on accommodating the needs of those who will use the Health Units services, says Pastore. For example, patient - focused services such as clinics, environmental health and conference rooms are located on the ground floor for easy access. On the buildings exterior, coloured concrete was used to demarcate the barrier - free path of travel to entrances, says landscape consultant Ernst Kreps of Design Environment Landscape Architect Inc.
The Algoma Public Health Unit was also designed to be adaptable to future conditions. For example, it was designed with the flexibility to be used as a disaster relief headquarters, says Pastore. Some of the features include a heightened level of infrastructure technology such as analog communications for redundancy, full videoconferencing capabilities, remote IT rooms, increased power and data connection management systems, one hundred per cent emergency power, and classrooms and meeting rooms with operable walls that they can be combined into large halls to handle mass vaccinations and other events.
All of these features are wrapped in an environmentally friendly package. The new building is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification.
Mark Lucuik, LEED consultant with Morrison Hershfield Limited says the Algoma Public Health Unit is "a good, well - rounded green building," which "captures LEED points in many ways, and in many categories." For example,
much of the 5.3 - acre site was previously a parking lot and has been restored to its natural state using vegetation indigenous to the area. Water efficiencies were achieved through the use of waterless urinals, ultra - low - flow toilets and a cistern to collect rainwater for flushing toilets. Carpets, finishes and sealants that are low in VOCs were used, as was flooring from the Rapidly Renewable category such as cork, linoleum and bamboo. Natural light was maximized while light pollution was minimized. A high - efficiency HVAC system and increased R values in the exterior building envelope improve energy efficiency. "Overall, its a really comfortable space," says Lucuik.
The new Algoma Public Health Unit integrates all the public health programs in an accessible and environmentally friendly space. It also increases the awareness of the importance of public health in the community, builds community linkages and makes use of shared infrastructure and synergies with the adjacent Sault College. This new community hub is a win for everyone.
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