Rekai Centre - Wellesley Central Place Long-Term Care Facility
Village setting in the city promotes healing
Although not accessible to residents, the building’s extensive green roof is part of a comprehensive landscape program that provides a visual amenity for the surrounding community.
by Sean Stanwick
Serving a multilingual urban community currently undergoing revitalization, this high-profile site had previously been the scene of conflict and controversy. In the late 1990s, the community felt abandoned, when Wellesley Hospital’s services for the frail elderly and people with HIV/AIDS were merged with a downtown hospital. Protests and negotiations aimed at preventing Wellesley’s closure were unsuccessful. The 1950’s era facility was demolished in 2003.
When the province closed Wellesley Hospital, the property reverted to the Wellesley Central Health Corporation [WCHC], a non-profit entity that entered into discussions with the City of Toronto, the community and other stakeholders to examine redevelopment options. While many wanted to see the site redeveloped, there was wide disagreement regarding the vision and major components. “Every action we took—or contemplated taking—was under the microscope of public scrutiny,” recalls Mary Hoare WCHC’s Chief Administrative Officer. Working tirelessly with the community, the design team helped establish program parameters including a long-term care facility, non-profit housing, market housing, and parkland. It was also mandated that Wellesley Central Place be the cornerstone of this project and a “showpiece” that would set the standard for future phases.
A New Model for Aging
The Wellesley Central Place, a division of the Drs. Paul and John Rekai Centre, is unlike any other long-term care home in Toronto. Designed to function as an independent village, it emphasizes wellness focusing on the capabilities of individual patients, rather than a disabilities-centred medical model.
Focused on two main guiding principles, Wellesley Central Place provides a home-like environment and the opportunity for residents to exercise choice and control in their lives. The centre provides 150 long-term care beds and extended community outreach programs. Residents live in one of six “neighbourhoods” within the building. Each resident area has a unique character, which recognizes one’s status as an adult and reinforces a sense of personal identity.
Specialized, life-enriching programs are also available to residents with differing cognitive abilities. A separate, safe, enclosed residential unit leading to a designated garden space is available to residents with advanced levels of dementia. Residents with full intellectual capabilities are also able to take advantage of on-site lectures offered through a partnership with nearby Ryerson University.
Applying principles normally used when designing a small town, a mixture of urban design elements help create a rich visual texture of spaces and forms. Clad in brick and stone, and only four-storeys in height, the centre respects the scale and character of the surrounding neighbourhood.
The overall shape of the building was dictated by the curved geometry of the site and the desire to capture sunlight and direct it into resident rooms. Fronting Wellesley Street, a gently curving loggia covered by a trellis overgrown with flowering vines allows residents to be engaged with the activities of the street. Directly adjacent to the porch, at the intersection of the two blocks, the Winter Garden is a meeting place where residents are able to enjoy the company of neighbours. Each resident home area also has direct access to an outdoor balcony with views to the northern garden area.
Nature and sunlight remind us of life, and the integration of indoor and outdoor environments is essential for the centre’s residents. Connections to nature and the outside world are created through front and back gardens, as well as two enclosed courtyards. Water features, native plants and meandering paths are life-affirming elements that contribute to a sense of serenity. Inside the courtyards, wooden shingles promote a residential atmosphere. On the lower level a “main street” circulation path, with floor to ceiling glass, wraps the courts to allow natural light to filter deep into the adjacent common rooms. Bathed in natural light, this internal street offers numerous opportunities to stop and socialize along the way. Clustered along this route are the Family Dining Room, the Place of Worship, the Resident Lounge, the Beauty Salon and Barber Shop.
Plantings for seasonal change assist with orientation to space, time and season, even for those who remain indoors. The naturalized landscape design minimizes maintenance, and the selection of indigenous trees, shrubs, groundcovers, wildflowers and grasses greatly reduces irrigation demand. A green roof also provides excellent insulation, helps clean the air, and contributes to the health of the users, staff and community at large.
The overall goal was to create interesting urban environments with seasonal variations that are comfortable, engaging and therapeutic. As townhouses and residential condominiums slowly complete the urban composition, the project is now considered a successful urban renewal initiative. “I never thought I’d be in a position to accomplish what we’ve achieved here,” says Hoare. “There is a great sense of satisfaction from overcoming so many obstacles to create a progressive long-term care resource for the community.”
Sean Stanwick is an Associate with The Farrow Partnership Architects
extra material not published in the magazine:
credits
- Client: The Rekai Centre, Wellesley Central Place, Toronto
- Architect: Farrow Partnership Architects, Toronto
- Structural Engineer: Halsall Associates, Toronto
- Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Merber Corp, Toronro
- Landscape Architect: Quinn & Associates, Toronto
- General Contractor: TriAxis, Toronto
- Photographer: Tom Arban, Toronto
Materials
- Structure: Concrete frame, structural steel and floor slabs
- Envelope: Roofing and membranes by Flynn Canada, green roof; fibre cement siding in shingle and corrugated profiles, clay-faced brick by Canada Brick, calcium silicate masonry units by Arriscraft International; aluminum frame windows
- Interior: Resilient flooring, radiant heating; gypsum board and low VOC paint by Pittsburgh Paints, gypsum board and tile ceilings; occupancy sensors by Wattstopper