Northern Health Authority

HH Angus participated in the integrated and sustainable design process, assessing several different mechanical concepts focusing on heat recovery, improved space air distribution and high-efficiency equipment. Considering the climate, extensive consideration was given to balancing the use of 100% outdoor air systems with total enthalpy heat recovery wheels, with the need to reduce energy consumption.

Mechanical and electrical engineering for this new build acute care community hospital included related services such as laundry and food services, and a replacement residential care facility. The hospital provides 58 inpatient beds with full diagnostic and treatment facilities, three operating rooms, endoscopy suite, and 124 residential care beds. Part of our scope, via our affiliate ACML, was to provide the hard Facilities Management for this project.

The project has been certified LEED® Gold and includes specific energy saving elements as a key component of the design. We worked extensively with all other design team members to meet aggressive energy consumption targets without increasing capital costs.

Also notable was the design and construction of the complex and high-efficiency heating plant featuring a series of condensing hot water boilers piped in a cascading temperature arrangement. The focus was on delivering a well-sealed and insulated building to reduce building envelope energy losses and allow the heating boilers to run at peak energy efficiency. This will provide the client with long-term energy savings, as heating costs have traditionally been very high.

The specification of the pad-mounted generator enclosures saved both time and money. Unconventionally, the generators were pre-fabricated and installed in sound-attenuated enclosures before being shipped to site. This allowed for quick ‘plug and play’ installation when these units arrived on site.

Lighting strategies were crucial, with a target of 30% energy reduction below ASHRAE standards while still meeting CSA light level requirements. Implementation of an extensive low voltage lighting control system further reduced energy consumption.

Vertical transportation elements included three passenger elevators and six service elevators.

For the IMIT scope, the Angus Connect team designed a new wired/wireless system, network and infrastructure to help improve workflow with the introduction of RFID tagging to help with inventory and distribution, as well as laying a robust foundation for a future Real Time Location System. Additional major systems included telephone, nurse call, public address, patient entertainment, intercoms, video conferencing and patient monitoring. Our team also planned for and added the infrastructure for the new digital modalities and connection to a centralized PACs system, which improved diagnosing and reporting, and facilitated consultations between staff members.