Construction has reached the halfway mark on the new BC Children’s Hospital centre for health complexity.

The milestone was celebrated with the last panel of mass timber being installed in place above the centre’s main entrance. The centre, slated to open in 2028, will be the first health-care facility in B.C. to use a hybrid mass timber construction.

As the first-of-its-kind in Canada, the 166,000-square-foot facility will serve children and youth up to 19 years old with complex healthcare needs that require constant care and usually affect multiple body functions. It will help ensure children with the most complex health needs in B.C. and the Yukon receive the specialized care they need.

With the completion of the primary structure, the focus will shift to finishing the building’s exterior such as the facade and roof, and continuing interior work such as installing electrical and mechanical systems, technology, material finishes, furniture and equipment.

The building design will offer innovative, accessible spaces, such as a feature ramp, an All-Nations space and Indigenous healing garden, and a wellness path through the mature grove of trees, as well as comfortable patient family meeting rooms, recreation spaces, a dining area and a teaching kitchen to support wellness, learning and community building for families.

Managed by Ledcor as the design-build partner, with Diamond Schmitt as lead architects and Connect Landscape Architecture in charge of the physical terrain, the facility is designed as a welcoming and warm environment, prioritizing the experience of patients and caregivers alike.

Targeting LEED Gold, the project prioritizes environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and healthy indoor environments. Exposed wood and mass timber construction bring warmth to the building while reducing its embodied carbon.