Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre

Live. Grow. Be. These words express the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre’s commitment to a continuum of care model that is accessible, equitable, appropriate, holistic and transformative.

They also express the design approach for the new location in downtown Kitchener, part of the larger urban transformation from derelict factory district to a rejuvenated community destination.

A successful community partnership since opening its doors in 2000, the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre provides care for people in the downtown, and those from different ethno-cultural groups, with particular emphasis on those unable to access health services. Increased demand for services and programs resulted in the need for a larger facility to accommodate the needs of clients, their communities and staff.

Key Objectives include:

• Downtown location to connect with their client base, community services, cultural resources, amenities and public transit
• Improved accessibility
• Healthy visitor and workplace environment
• Barrier free, secure and confidential client experience

Parallel to the continuum of care model, the approach to planning and design of the new space is a health-centric one. Applied to urban form, architecture and interior design, the new KDCHC facility models the vision of care through building terms of restoration, rehabilitation, renewal, adaptive re-use and transformation.

LOCATION

Kitchener, Ontario

CLIENT

Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre

COMPLETED

2010

SIZE

10,000 ft²

SERVICES

New Construction

CATEGORY

Institutional