Bloorview - A view through the Spiral Garden, large mature maples line the right side of the accessible walkway with ravine beyond. A sculptural garden arch and a glimpse of the building can be seen in the background. Bloorview - A view through the Spiral Garden, large mature maples line the right side of the accessible walkway with ravine beyond. A sculptural garden arch and a glimpse of the building can be seen in the background.
Holland Bloorview

Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

location

Toronto, Ontario

type

Healthcare

client

Holland Bloorview

completed

2006

team

Stantec Architecture
Montgomery Sisam Architects

 

This facility is the largest children’s rehabilitation centre in Ontario, serving children and youth with disabilities and special needs. Incorporating 24-hour care and outpatient clinics, it is a hospital, a school, a community resource, and a research facility.

The outdoor environment at the centre is viewed as a valuable asset for staff, children and their families as well as volunteers. It is seen as a normalizing space where soccer, baseball, bike riding, and other sports can occur, where children can be tested without walls, where the outdoors represents play to its users and not therapy.

Overlooking the picturesque Sunnybrook ravine and incorporating an abundance of mature trees, a variety of linked landscapes provides therapists with additional opportunities for encouraging gross motor activities, mobility training, skills development, and a range of sensory experiences.

Vertechs Design is currently working with Holland Bloorview to implement landscape upgrades to the therapeutic outdoor spaces.

project highlights

Holland Bloorview - crushed stone walkway to wood shade structure amongst ornamental grasses Holland Bloorview - crushed stone walkway to wood shade structure amongst ornamental grasses
Holland Bloorview - oblong concrete water feature with fish fountains dispersed throughout Holland Bloorview - oblong concrete water feature with fish fountains dispersed throughout
Holland Bloorview - modern shade structure with integrated seating area Holland Bloorview - modern shade structure with integrated seating area
Holland Bloorview - tree adorned with illustrated canvas Holland Bloorview - tree adorned with illustrated canvas
Holland Bloorview - birds eye view of play area and adjacent walkways Holland Bloorview - birds eye view of play area and adjacent walkways
Holland Bloorview - statue of child and raccoon perched on rock in grassed area Holland Bloorview - statue of child and raccoon perched on rock in grassed area
Holland Bloorview - interpretive walkway amongst trees and art installations Holland Bloorview - interpretive walkway amongst trees and art installations
Holland Bloorview - concrete walkway lined with ferns and multi-stemmed shrubs Holland Bloorview - concrete walkway lined with ferns and multi-stemmed shrubs
Holland Bloorview - tipi with First Nations illustrative symbology Holland Bloorview - tipi with First Nations illustrative symbology
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