QEII Redevelopment Planning and Programming Begins
One of Canada's top architecture and design firms will begin the detailed planning process needed to determine what the QEII Health Sciences Centre redevelopment project will look like, and where services will be located.
Government awarded a contract today, Nov. 22, for the QEII master planning and programming to Kasian Architecture of Toronto. The project includes planning the expansion and renovations of the Halifax Infirmary site, as well as specialized and community outpatient centres.
"We have to consider medical trends for the next 20 to 30 years, and the way patients, staff and visitors use the QEII facilities to make sure we're creating something that will meet our needs for decades to come," said Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine.
The company will work with seven Nova Scotia consulting firms on the project, which will take a year. Once the master planning and programming process is complete, detailed design will begin.
"The team will talk to people who work in, use and live near the QEII, and will provide the basis for a final design that will reflect both medical and patient needs," said Janet Knox, president and CEO of Nova Scotia Health Authority. "This critical planning stage will ensure we build a very strong foundation for the future of the services of the QEII and the improved health of Nova Scotians.
"The redevelopment will strengthen the QEII's role as a centre for the evolving nature of care, the research that drives that evolution and the training of those who provide it."
The project team will come back to government with a detailed plan by late 2017.
Located in Halifax, the QEII is the largest health sciences centre in Atlantic Canada. As a leading research facility, it is the specialized care centre in areas such as heart health, cancer care, neurosurgery and organ transplantation. It is also the local community hospital for immediate care and emergency services.
The contract is valued at $1.9 million.
Updates on the QEII redevelopment project can be found at: http://QE2redevelopment.ca.