Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Modular Complex

Award of Excellence

WSP Canada

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in early 2020, the government of Quebec declared a state of emergency and activated preventive measures. As part of this response, Montreal’s Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (HMR) requested a modular complex to be built rapidly, so it could accommodate the increased patient load, but could also be used to accommodate the longer-term needs of the hospital’s oncology program, serving cancer patients.

HMR engaged WSP Canada, alongside architectural partner Architecture49, to provide all mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, structural and civil engineering services for the project. WSP also provided environmental, geotechnical, surveying and laboratory studies and commissioned the project on time, in a fast-paced environment.

A non-traditional approach To meet an aggressive timeline and increased demand for rooms due to the pandemic, the project was designed to accommodate a modular construction process. Energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems were designed and specified to accommodate ‘plug and play’ modules that were shipped to the HMR site from an off-site construction facility. MECART, the modular constructor, was engaged throughout the design process to help streamline it.

The engineering systems were designed to accommodate HMR’s specific health-care needs, the modular construction techniques and a clinical change of use following the pandemic. So, they were not typical of traditional health-care facility design.

For the patient rooms, for example, mechanical systems and controls designed to provide negative pressure during COVID-19 can be switched to positive pressure in the future for immune-compromised cancer patients, with minimal intervention. Detachable wall panels allow the facility’s wall-mounted electrical and communication services to be easily reconfigured with changes in patient care.

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters were installed in the ventilation systems. Full redundancy for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and electrical power was provided by an emergency backup generator and distribution system for power interruption events. Corrosion-resistant flooring was specified for ease of maintenance.

Setting a precedent The successful design and construction of the two-storey HMR modular complex has helped set a precedent for rapid construction to support future crisis-management strategies. The project is now a model for other hospitals. And once the COVID-19 crisis has passed, its 36 patient rooms will be repurposed to fit the needs of the hospital for at least another decade.

“It stands out as an example of thinking about long-term uses, not just short-term benefits.”- Jury

Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Modular Complex, Montreal, Que.

Award-winning firm (prime consultant, quantity surveying, land surveying, urban planning, lab services, commissioning, architecture, building science and geotechnical, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and telecommunication engineering): WSP Canada, Montreal (Louis Boissonneault, ing.; Benoit Lemire, ing.; Pierre Rodrigue, ing.; Joël Boudreau, Tech.; François Patry, ing.; Martin Villemure, ing.; Stéphane Éthier, ing.; Mario Bouchard, ing.; Catherine Jolin-Duhamel, ing.; Juan Gamarra, Arch.). Owner: Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS-EMTL). Other key players: Société Québécoise des infrastructures (SQI) (client), Architecture49 (architect), Mecart (modular rooms), Pomerleau (construction manager), Consultants Expertise en Ascenseurs (CEA) (elevators).