Cowichan’s new hospital sets new standards in healthcare efficiency and sustainability

Island Health announced that the new Cowichan District Hospital (CDH) will be the first fossil fuel-free hospital in B.C. and Canada’s first hospital to achieve Zero Carbon Building – Design certification from the Canada Green Building Council.

Slated to be British Columbia’s first all-electric hospital, the new building will be three times larger than the existing facility. The Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project is being built by the Nuts’a’maat Alliance comprised of Island Health, EllisDon, Parkin Architects, BC Infrastructure Benefits, and Infrastructure BC.

“We’re building hospitals that will care for people in our communities for generations,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. “This certification shows that through innovative design, we can create hospitals that support the well-being of families and a sustainable future.”

Hospitals require significant energy to operate critical life-saving equipment, maintain indoor air quality and ensure safe, comfortable environments for patients and staff. The future CDH sets new benchmarks for healthcare infrastructure by optimizing energy use and future-proofing the building for better performance through extreme weather and climate-related events.

“The health of our environment is an important part of our overall health,” said Debra Toporowski, MLA for Cowichan Valley and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health. “That’s why I’m so glad that the future Cowichan District Hospital will provide the healthcare services that people need, while minimizing the impact on the land, water, and air around us.”

The hospital’s leading edge sustainability measures will free up resources for patient care while supporting patient and staff well-being and delivering environmental benefits. Highlights include:

• Fully electric operation: The first all-electric hospital in B.C., it eliminates reliance on fossil fuels.
• Highly energy efficient design: A high-performance building envelope minimizes heat loss, reducing overall energy demand by 30 per cent compared to the current hospital.
• Better air quality: Advanced ventilation and filtration systems support cleaner air, benefiting people with respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD and providing greater operational resilience during wildfire smoke events.
• On-site renewable energy generation: Rooftop solar panels will generate 2.5 percent of the hospital’s annual energy needs, reducing operating costs and reliance on external energy sources.
• Water conservation strategies: 60 per cent more water-efficient than the current hospital
• Sustainable materials: Use of low-carbon concrete, mass timber, rebar and insulation to minimize embodied carbon in construction.
• LED lighting which uses 75 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs; and
• Low global warming potential refrigerants to minimize carbon emissions in mechanical equipment.

“The new Cowichan District Hospital’s visionary design aligns with Island Health’s commitment to making a positive contribution to healthy people and a healthy planet,” said Leah Hollins, Island Health Board Chair.

“Island Health is taking action to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions Island-wide by 50 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, setting the bar high on environmental sustainability and supporting community preparedness and resiliency for climate emergencies.”

Zero Carbon Building– Design is a made-in-Canada framework that emphasizes the importance of reducing building emissions in reaching our national climate commitments. Developed by the Canada Green Building Council, the ZCB-Design certification acknowledges the impact of integrating zero-carbon objectives into projects early in the initial design phase.

“We are exceedingly proud to be part of the Alliance building the state-of-the-art Cowichan District Hospital, which will serve the diverse communities of Cowichan Valley while also setting unprecedented sustainability standards. Being the first hospital in Canada to receive the Zero Carbon Building design certification is a testament to the hard work, meticulous planning, and commitment to sustainability that our team has exemplified from the project’s inception. We look forward to our continued collaboration with our Alliance partners to deliver a facility that will serve the needs of community for generations to come,” said Sean Dekoning, SVP and area manager, EllisDon.

This project not only met but exceeded its main sustainability goals of maximizing energy efficiency, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, and lowering its overall carbon footprint. By the numbers:

• 38 per cent reduction in embodied carbon from the baseline model
• Energy Use Intensity (or EUI) of 331 ekWh/m²/year, significantly lower than the target of 391 ekWh/m²/year

“We are proud to be part of the team delivering the new Cowichan District Hospital—the first hospital in Canada to achieve Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard certification. This landmark achievement reflects our commitment to innovative, sustainable design that supports both environmental responsibility and community well-being. By integrating cutting-edge efficiency measures and renewable energy solutions, this facility sets a new benchmark for the future of healthcare infrastructure.” said Shane Czypyha, principal, Parkin Architects Limited.

Featured image: (EllisDon)