By realizing their vision for a new long-term care home, Runnymede Health Centre takes an important step toward their goal of becoming a community healthcare hub. The new home will be linked to the existing Runnymede Health Centre, which caters to patients with complex medical conditions and those requiring complex rehab, allowing for important programmatic and operational synergies to be established.

Home to 200 residents, Runnymede’s new LTC will allow its residents to receive care closer to home, including the local Maltese community. Runnymede is situated in the heart of Little Malta and this cultural group does not have an LTC facility or dedicated program anywhere in Ontario.

The new building and gardens replace an existing surface parking lot which is moved below grade.  An existing privately-owned public space located at the corner of St. John Rd and Fisken Ave. is substantially increased to provide a better outdoor amenity for the community. The Home on the north side of St. John Rd. minimizing its shadowing impact on neighbors.The development makes a positive contribution to the neighborhood by introducing a built form that consolidates the block and replaces the suburban condition of the parking lot with a mid-rise building. The Home’s highly activated ground floor will connect the neighborhood to the resident amenity and activity areas within.

Nestled into its residential neighborhood, every effort has been made to break down the Home’s massing and create harmony with its surrounding context. This includes generous set-backs against the single-family residences, strategic use of materials and the inclusion of projecting, south-facing terraces. The building’s architectural language projects a strong residential character to de-emphasize the institutional aspects of the program. A generous forecourt will provide welcome visual amenity for the neighborhood and offer seniors a chance to participate in outdoor therapy programming or simply sit and watch the action on the street. A large canopy protects from the sun and will enable residents to enjoy the outdoors in rainy weather.  A well-calibrated grade change between the outdoor forecourt and St. John St. with the generous planting proposed, ensures the resident’s privacy while allowing them to participate in the life of the street.

Supporting 4 floors of Resident Home Areas, the ground floor of the home is punctuated with large windows to provide ample daylighting to the main assembly spaces and ensure strong visual connections to the outdoor gardens. The home’s reception area, café/bistro, family dining room and Great Hall share the ground floor, welcoming family and community into the Home to create an engaging experience for residents. The spacious Great Hall is also designed to allow for large gatherings for special events serving both the new LTC home and the existing Rehab Centre.