Cambridge Memorial Hospital celebrates opening of new wing

Cambridge Memorial Hospital celebrated the opening of its new patient care wing with a ribbon cutting ceremony today. The new wing, which will host a community open house tomorrow, will fully open on Jan. 20. Stantec provided architecture, interior design, and civil engineering for the new wing, which evokes the landscape and history of the four communities that form Cambridge: Galt, Hespeler, Preston, and Blair.

The 250,000-square-foot A wing features nearly 200 patient beds – up from 150 – and will include the emergency department, intensive care, birthing, surgical services, and mental health programs. The new five-storey wing prioritizes brightness and privacy, especially in the expanded intensive care and emergency departments.

“When designing a complex building like a hospital, you must capture the heart and soul of the community it serves in order to create a true environment of health and wellness,” says Michael Moxam, vice president and design practice leader with Stantec. “This idea was the driving force behind our design process. We’re proud of our work on the revitalized patient care wing. It’s truly inspired by the history, rivers, landscape, and communities of Cambridge.”

Drawing from these inspirations, the new patient care wing gently bends toward the river, maximizing sightlines from patient rooms and the two terraces to facilitate wellness and strengthen community connection. Two landscaped courtyards provide the primary organizing elements for the new wing. They bring natural light and landscape deep into the building, while acting as landmarks for intuitive orientation and wayfinding as visitors navigate the hospital. Floor-to-ceiling windows in patient rooms give patients the opportunity to connect with community and nature.

When looking to connect the existing Wing B inpatient tower to the new Wing A inpatient tower, Stantec’s design team found inspiration in the bridges of Cambridge. As patients, visitors, and staff move along the glazed pedestrian bridge, views of the river and nearby residential community contribute to natural wayfinding and stress reduction.

The rich stone and masonry traditions of the mills and churches of the region also had a profound influence on the design. From the moment of arrival, a stone facade along Coronation St. welcomes and draws visitors toward the main entrance and invites them to the main lobby and beyond to the large courtyard. This stone is a direct reference to Cambridge’s architectural traditions.

About Cambridge Memorial Hospital
Cambridge Memorial Hospital is an acute care hospital, which traces its roots to 1888. It provides multiple services including surgery, paediatrics, emergency care, cancer care, diagnostics and rehabilitation. Cambridge Memorial Hospital employs 1,100 dedicated staff, 280 physicians and 500 volunteers who provide exceptional care and support to the residents of Cambridge, the township of North Dumfries and the Region of Waterloo. For more information, visit www.cmh.org.

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.

Media Contact
Sean Fitzgerald
Stantec Media Relations
Ph: (416) 598-5769
sean.fitzgerald@stantec.com