Project Summary
Hanson, in association with Isotherm Engineering Ltd. of Toronto, provided commissioning services for the new Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto, Canada.
The Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute was the first facility of its kind in North America – a facility dedicated to bridging the gap between research knowledge and health-care practice. According to St. Michael’s Hospital representatives, sometimes new treatments for diseases do not reach patients soon enough, leading to lapses and variation in quality of care provided to patients.
One of the hospital’s goals is to bring together the worlds of research, education and patient care in a unique global institute dedicated to bringing treatments to patients faster than ever before.
The Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute is a 330,000-square-foot, 9-story research and education building with a construction budget of approximately $100 million. The facility will consist of office space, wet and dry bench research labs, vivarium labs, classrooms, meeting rooms, lecture theaters, common space, etc. Lab systems will include oxygen, nitrous oxide, medical air, medical vacuum, carbon dioxide, and pure water (reverse osmosis).
In addition, the building features thermostatically controlled pressure ware-washing units, water softeners and lab drainage systems. Besides these systems, the facility includes many HVAC systems, such as chilled water, condenser water, steam-to-hot water converters, radiant heating and snow melting systems.
Hanson’s commissioning services included development of the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) and the Commissioning Plan (Cx Plan), construction observation (equipment installation and start-up), functional performance testing of HVAC systems, oversight review of operation and maintenance (O&M) training and documentation, and 10-month warranty review.