I like your suggestions. Some new hospitals are being built with central courtyard and healing gardens specifically because seeing greenery is beneficial to the wellbeing of both staff and patients.
It would also be better for the folks in the George who thought they were going to have a bit of a view. (Not that views are ever guaranteed in developing cities…)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluenoser
Just thinking out loud here, but I wonder if the building & parkade placements couldn't have been swapped between Robie & Bell, i.e. have the main buildings along the Commons? Acknowledging that ~half of the windows would be facing in toward the site either way, why not provide a nicer setting for the other hospital patients (I realize not all may be capable of getting up to look out the window, but the windows will apparently be sizeable) since there happens to be a large greenspace right there? As it is, it seems like many will be looking at apartments and vise-versa. Also (this wouldn't matter to the hospital but) it would have enclosed the commons with a little bit of a Central Park feel, rather than a view to a large parkade/driveways/chimney stacks etc. Additionally, a Robie St. parkade could have expanded upon or tied into the existing one, maybe saving costs (albeit perhaps requiring a signalized intersection on Robie).
Anyway, I trust there was sound reasoning behind the site plan, carried out by people far above my pay grade!
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