The Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto represents a new model in healthcare design. It is among the first in the world to bring together researchers, educators and clinicians. Comprised of the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre, the nine-storey facility is connected to the hospital by a striking glass and steel pedestrian bridge which serves to symbolize this collaborative coming together of disciplines. The Keenan Research Centre is 271,300-square-feet with three floors of flexible, open concept wet laboratories and two floors for dry lab study to meet a wide range of medical research programs. The centre houses 400 research staff and contains 4,640-feet of state-of-the-art laboratory benches. The education component includes a library, classroom and meeting facilities. They are linked by multi-level lounges that sit atop Victoria Lane and are connected by an elegant wishbone staircase, creating a focal point for informal encounters. A 200-seat raked auditorium doubles as a conference centre and lecture hall. The objective is to foster interdisciplinary activity and reduce the timeline from lab bench discovery to bedside treatment.
View Original