Summit rises:
Help for seniors is on the way By Melanie Franner
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wenty-four-hour care and support will soon be available in the form of a new state-of-the art residential care and dementia facility in Victoria. The Summit at Quadra Village will offer 320 beds, as well as an adult day program for seniors. The Capital Region Hospital District (CRHD) has planned The Summit to replace two aging facilities (Oak Bay Lodge and Mt. Tolmie Hospital). Through a financing agreement, Island Health will lease the building over the next 25 years and provide the residential care services. Project design for The Summit began in September 2015, with completion anticipated near the end of 2019. The budget is $86 million. Standing tall The new facility is the work of de Hoog & Kierulf Architects, who describes the project as having used an integrated design process with a construction management approach. “All bedrooms are private, single-occupant rooms complete with an ensuite bathroom and shower,” states the company. “Floors are organized into four houses of 24 residents with the ability to subdivide into smaller pods of 12.” The architectural firm adds that the design prioritizes both resident quality of life and operational efficiency, with compact centralized staff areas surrounded by perimeter resident common areas facing onto landscaped gardens. 52 Vancouver Island Construction Association 2019
The Summit consists of four separate wings, each of which is four storeys high. WSP Canada are the mechanical and electrical consultants for The Summit project. The company designed the entire mechanical and electrical systems to LEED guidelines, although the building itself will not be LEED certified. The company designed the electrical systems to meet or exceed the ASHRAE 90.1 requirements for watts per square foot, lighting control systems, energy and provisions for electrical vehicle charging. Electrically, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), health-care and security systems are all designed with the latest proven practical technologies capable of seamless integration, simplicity of installation and maintenance, and ease of operation. The Summit has several security systems, access control and staff duress systems throughout the building to ensure the safety of the residents and staff alike. The wireless staff duress system will provide real-time locating capabilities during a staff duress situation, and will alert other staff and the code-white team of the duress situation to ensure a fast and immediate response. A wired nurse-call system, with emergency call buttons located in strategic locations and patient stations, will be located at each resident bed to provide emergency-call capabilities, porter calls and staff communications.
