In addition to being away from home, treatments, procedures and an abundance of strangers can make hospitals a scary place for anyone, not to mention children. It’s vital that a healthcare facility designated for youth prioritizes positive distractions, like play spaces, visual stimulation, and technology, in addition to efficiency and operational purposes in the design process. Read more

According to a survey by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), “…85% of people feel their access to quality outdoor views and natural sunlight boosts their overall productivity and happiness.” These results are hardly surprising. Backed by research, we know that good institutional design has a direct impact on the occupants of a built environment. Further to that, improvements that affect human capital have a much greater impact on organizations in terms of costs and savings than those that improve only the physical capital. Read more

How many building certifications does your facility have? How many does it need?

For most buildings, one certification is enough, but for some―especially those within institutional design―it makes sense to obtain additional building certifications. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the WELL Building Standard (WELL) are two such programs that work harmoniously. Read more

We’re often asked, “What is institutional design, and how does it differ from other types of design?”

Institutional design is the design of buildings to serve the public, such as hospitals, schools, police stations, prisons, and recreational/community centres. The design process and outcome for public-use buildings are very different from those for private or residential buildings, for a number of reasons. Read more

It has been an exciting and rewarding year for Parkin Architects Limited. We continued our work on a number of cutting-edge projects for the foremost healthcare, educational, recreation, justice, and research institutions across Canada.

Thank you to our staff, partners and team members for their hard work, passion and dedication over this past year. We look forward to what 2019 will bring knowing that, together, we will continue to innovate and exceed client expectations.
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Innovative technologies in architecture

Technology has changed the way most industries do business, and architecture and design are no exception.  Advances in design technologies have allowed architects to better demonstrate their proposed designs to clients, and clients to more easily visualize the end product. Architects are able to display multiple design options with ease and can make design changes on the spot, while also immediately calculating the effect of changes on the overall design. The architect still provides the creative impetus for the project, and is critical to interpreting and realizing the client’s needs, but innovative technologies now allow the architect to shift more of their focus to the client relationship.
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