About Us

Facility: Green Features

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital has always recognized the importance of sustainable and renewable energy. It was a natural progression to incorporate green energy into the design of the building.

Holland Bloorview is situated on eleven acres of land adjacent to the Sunnybrook Park ravine. Many of the existing mature trees on the property were carefully protected during the construction of the building. A screen of evergreens has been planted along the south side of Kilgour Road to provide a noise and privacy buffer between the building and our neighbours.

A green or "vegetated" roof – a first for Holland Bloorview – has been planted on the first floor roof above the front entrance canopy. Covering more than 1,900 square feet, this plant-filled rooftop garden is an attractive and energy-saving alternative to a conventional rooftop. It will also create a natural habitat for wildlife, including birds. Clients and families in the second floor waiting area are able to enjoy the best view of the garden, however, the garden is also visible from all of the above floors. It has been planted with grasses and wildflowers to give the area a meadow-like appearance. Rain sensors will help monitor irrigation and direct water to the roof as needed. The green roof was installed in the summer of 2007.

A green roof can provide many benefits:

• cools the roof and reduces energy costs inside the building
• provides insulation to the roof area and adjusts the temperature below it
• the plants absorb pollutants through photosynthesis and filter out fine, airborne particles such as dust

We have an extensive recycling program within the facility separating paper, cans, glass, plastic, cardboard and compost. Unique recycling stations were designed by Building Services and are incorporated in corridors on all levels.

In addition, we have made a special effort to minimize the amount of landfill we generate. We are increasing our efforts to recycle and reuse any materials we can – including selling any used furniture and equipment and continuing our recycling program.

Energy Recovery

Energy recovery is a prominent feature in the Holland Bloorview facility. Several air-handling units have heat recovery “wheels” that capture heat before it is exhausted outside and pre-heat the incoming air. Other heat recovery options are in place to capture waste heat from the air conditioning system, which is then used to offset heating costs for the pool. In addition, high efficiency fan motors have been installed, which is important because many of our systems operate close to twenty-four hours a day.

Energy Efficiency

Nature and technology join forces to make Holland Bloorview one of the first health-care facilities in Canada to recover and reuse rainwater as part of the irrigation system. A large underground storage tank collects rainwater through drainpipes from the roof and balconies, and from runoff on the north side of the building. The water storage tank is located behind the building and has a capacity of 114,000 litres. It is connected to the facility’s underground irrigation system and is used to water all grass areas and and perennial beds. Watering is controlled by the building automation system, which automatically switches over to the city water supply in the event of a dry spell.

Considerable effort was made in the design of the Holland Bloorview facility to incorporate solar panels on the flat rooftop and the exterior storage shed. Holland Bloorview is receiving a rebate from Ontario Hydro for each kilowatt hour of electricity produced by the roof top system.

Other energy efficient features:

• Low voltage lighting controls schedule the timing for lighting in corridors and common areas according to need
• Light sensors in some offices automatically turn off lights when the room is not in use, or when there is enough daylight in the room
• Special thermal glazing on the windows to minimize internal and external air exchange
• Use of LED energy-saving lighting where possible
• Use of natural construction materials such as zinc, brick and stone that last a long time, and require little maintenance

In the early stages of planning for the building, Holland Bloorview held workshops to explore all energy-saving options, many of which were incorporated into the design of the building.

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