Old Don Jail (Bridgepoint Health Administration Centre)

The Old Don Jail (c. 1864) is a landmark Renaissance Revival building distinguished by its buff brick and sandstone construction, limestone base, and richly detailed central entrance.

As part of its transformation for Bridgepoint Health, +VG Architects led the conservation and adaptive reuse of this provincially and municipally designated heritage property.

The project reimagines the former correctional facility as a contemporary administrative and community hub, carefully integrating modern “smart building” systems within a highly constrained historic structure. Significant interior and exterior heritage features were preserved and restored, while strategic interventions opened the rigid cellular plan into flexible, light-filled workspaces and gathering areas.

A key component of the work involved collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including hospital leadership, heritage authorities, and community groups. +VG prepared comprehensive heritage conservation and interpretation plans, along with detailed documentation to guide the preservation, restoration, and selective salvage of character-defining elements.

Balancing technical performance with heritage integrity, the project demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform a historic institutional building into a vibrant, contemporary environment. The Old Don Jail has received numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, recognizing its excellence in adaptive reuse and heritage conservation.