Gene Zwozdesky Centre at Norwood

A new home for complex continuing care in Edmonton

Healthcare & Wellness

Gene Zwozdesky Centre at Norwood will be home to residents in need of complex continuing care—a continuum of services for those with chronic disease or disability—for young or old, minimal to full care. Located together with the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in north central Edmonton, it consists of three components: the new resident tower, the outpatient clinic block housing the Comprehensive Home Option of Integrated Care for the Elderly (CHOICE) Program, and the renovated Angus McGugan Pavilion (AMP). The project will increase the number of post-acute, complex long-term care and palliative care beds from the current 205 to 350, with a focus on a more cohesive community experience for residents, staff and visitors.

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Location
Edmonton, AB
Size
430,556 sq ft
Client
Government of Alberta
Completion
2023
DIALOG Services

Architecture
Electrical Engineering
Interior Design
Landscape Architecture
Mechanical Engineering
Planning & Urban Design
Structural Engineering
Sustainability + Building Performance Consulting

Collaborators

Acumen Cost Consulting
Al-Terra Engineering
Bunt & Associates Engineering
KFR Engineering
Resource Management Consultant
SMP Engineering
Thurber Engineering

The new 7-storey resident tower accommodates 234 continuing care and post acute restorative beds, new ambulatory clinics and an expanded CHOICE Program.

The $364-million project will also improve patient-centred care by providing centrally located programs and services, such as a specialty dental clinic and pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Community can be defined on many levels. The Centre’s design provides a connection to the neighborhood it’s a part of, and the community created by the people living and working inside the building.

Connections between the interior, exterior, and landscape create a cohesive experience for residents, staff and visitors. Garden spaces are connected by a metaphor of the North Saskatchewan River.

The Team

We are bringing together the three pivotal aspects of the continuing care system–complex long-term care, post-acute care, and community care. This project will help Alberta better prepare for the challenges of an aging population.

Francine Drisner, CEO, CapitalCare

Gardens around the site serve specific purposes. The Courtyard connects the existing AMP to Norwood. This will be visible from resident rooms and experienced by staff, residents and visitors. The North Garden is a secure space that includes a meditative labyrinth. Loop walkways like this are beneficial for the mental and physical health of patients. It also provides an interesting visual experience from the tower above. The South Garden is a sunny, flexible open lawn space that encourages spontaneous play and social gathering.