SickKids – Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning

Toronto, Canada

Located on a constricted downtown site in Toronto’s Discovery District, the 21-storey facility consolidates SickKids' research programs, bringing 2,000 staff together under one roof.

SickKids – Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning

Toronto, Canada

Located on a constricted downtown site in Toronto’s Discovery District, the 21-storey facility consolidates SickKids' research programs, bringing 2,000 staff together under one roof.

Project led by Entuitive experts while employed at a previous firm.

Located at Bay and Elm Street and representing the largest high-rise research building in Canada, the 850,000 ft² facility contains research labs, learning and assembly spaces, meeting rooms, a tele-education room, a 250-seat auditorium, informal gathering areas, and two levels of associated underground parking. On the ground floor, retail and restaurant spaces serve both building tenants and the public.

Structural design included shoring and underpinning on all sides of the building to address the L-shaped site, and structural elements to support the feature, curved glass wall and striking frontage for the centre along its Bay Street side.

location

Toronto, Canada

Budget

$300 M

LEED Certification

LEED® Gold

Size

850,000 ft²

Honourable Mention, Best Commercial or Institutional Building

Pug Awards

Architect

Diamond Schmitt Architects

Client

Hospital for Sick Children

Role

Structural Engineering and Building Envelope

Institutional First Runner Up

Environmental Design + Construction, Excellence in Design Awards

Challenge

To incorporate a 250-seat lecture theatre in a multi-storey building, with minimum impact to adjacent building programs.

Solution

The 250-seat auditorium was located in the low-rise podium to reduce transfer structure requirements. The transfer was achieved with a two-storey Vierendeel truss with no cross-bracing to maximize efficiency of the program space.

Learn more about how Entuitive approaches engineering challenges, and discover why Engineering Performance matters for your project.

SickKids – Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning