The Greta and Robert H.N. Ho Psychiatry and Education Centre (HOpe Centre)

The Greta and Robert H.N. Psychiatry and Education Centre (HOpe Centre) features a modern architectural design that provides a bold statement on mental health. Warm and inviting yet architecturally striking, the HOpe Centre creates a comforting and attractive ambiance for its patients and residents, while announcing itself as a facility at the forefront of patient care for mental health issues.

An important aspect of the design of the HOpe Centre was to break down the conceptual barriers surrounding mental health. The building was designed to be inviting by connecting to the urban fabric with the use of open working environments and a large roof garden, while maintaining privacy and confidentiality.

The building design allows for separation between functions and the various client/patient populations, while keeping patient security and privacy at the forefront. A patient-operated coffee shop, sacred space, and resource centre are a few of the public spaces incorporated to make the HOpe Centre inviting for both visitors and patients. The facility also houses the Djavad Mowafaghian University of British Columbia Medical Education Centre to design and implement community-based mental health programs.

The IBI team aimed to develop a strategic site development and facility plan enabling Vancouver Coastal Health to realize efficient service delivery, optimize use of the site and facility, as well as maximize the full build-out capacity of the site to accommodate service requirements beyond the year 2030.