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Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital

Vaughan, Ontario

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Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital

A Better Patient Experience

Wayfinding plays an especially important role in healthcare environments. These are large, complex spaces where people, often ill, anxious, or with limited mobility, need to find their appointments and locate their friends and family members. We designed the wayfinding program for Mackenzie Health’s Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital with the aim of reducing stress and supporting access.With an emphasis on providing the community with access to state-of-the-art health care, the new hospital offers a full spectrum of services including Woman and Child, inpatient mental health, surgery, critical care, diagnostic imaging, medicine, and a full-service emergency department.
Simple, clear, and elegant, the wayfinding and signage program is designed to support well-being and soothe anxiety.

Wayfinding Strategies for Large Spaces

We needed to develop a wayfinding strategy that aided in the spatial understanding and navigation of this large hospital. Working in collaboration with the project architect, Stantec, we took cues from the vertical circulation of the hospital and designated zones using colour – orange and blue – which appear on all wayfinding signage and interior design elements as accent colours.

Dividing up the facility in this way makes it easier for patients, visitors, and staff to identify which part of the facility they are in and to find their destination using directional signs and wayfinding kiosks.

The colour bands on each sign are inspired by the building’s exterior architectural features.

Accessible for All

Accessibility is crucial to hospitals: the visitor journey needs to welcome people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and physical and cognitive abilities. To this end, identification and amenity signs feature tactile characters and braille. With respect to the design, high contrast levels, inclusive pictograms, and sans serif characters in upper and lowercase make messages more legible. Simplified, consistent nomenclature communicates services so patients can identify their destination intuitively.

  • 1.2M

    Square feet

  • 11

    Floors

  • 342

    Beds

  • 75,000

    Anticipated emergency visits annually

  • 6,300

    Anticipated surgeries annually

The Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, which opened in 2021, is the first hospital to be built in the City of Vaughan and the first net new hospital to be built in Ontario in 30 years.

Find out more about the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

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