4 minute read
Engineering a healthier future
The people powering Atlantic Canada’s largest healthcare infrastructure project
Engineers are at the forefront of one of the most demanding infrastructure undertakings ever attempted in Nova Scotia – a project that must reconcile clinical precision, urban constraints, and long-term adaptability from day one.
“The QEII Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project is more than a construction site – it’s an opportunity to reinvest in Nova Scotia and Nova Scotians, especially healthcare and skilled trades.” says David Benoit, P.Eng., President and Chief Executive Officer of Build Nova Scotia.
As the largest healthcare infrastructure project ever undertaken in Atlantic Canada, the Halifax Infirmary Expansion is a feat of both design and logistics. Part of the Action for Health Build, it includes a new 14-storey acute care tower, new, larger emergency and operating departments, new intensive care units, inpatient beds, diagnostic imaging suites, and more. But none of it happens without engineers – civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, and systems engineers – working behind the scenes to turn vision into reality.
“Engineering is the foundation of everything we do,” says Andrew Feener, P.Eng., Build Nova Scotia’s Senior Director, Project Delivery & Chief Project Officer for the Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project. “From energy systems to structural design, infection control to clinical equipment, engineers are embedded in every decision.”
For a project of this scale, engineering is as much about systems thinking as it is about technical specifications. Engineers are helping ensure the new facility is climate-resilient, digitally integrated, and designed to support modern models of care – all while maintaining hospital operations on a busy urban site.
Take the building’s energy systems, for example. The expansion includes high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, advanced ventilation, and hospital-grade filtration designed to meet the most stringent health standards while reducing environmental impact. Build Nova Scotia employs more than 25 engineers or engineers in training, who are designing systems that not only support patient and staff well-being, but also meet Nova Scotia’s climate goals and national energy codes.
Structural engineers are also playing a critical role, ensuring the new tower can withstand both the demands of a modern hospital and future adaptability. “We’re designing for today and tomorrow,” explains Feener. “Hospitals are evolving constantly – our engineering teams are building flexibility into the foundation, literally.”
In many ways, the Halifax Infirmary Expansion is redefining what healthcare buildings can be – and that means pushing engineering boundaries, too. Engineers are working closely with project architects, clinicians, infection prevention specialists, and IT experts to design spaces that are safe and functional, as well as healing and human-centered.
Collaboration is key. The project involves engineers from Build Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Health, and private-sector partners, Plenary Americas and PCL Construction. Many are Nova Scotians themselves –professionals who are not only proud to help deliver a landmark project, but who may one day rely on the very systems they helped create.
“This isn’t just about designing a building,” says Feener. “It’s about building trust in our public infrastructure, supporting the next generation of healthcare workers, and creating a space where Nova Scotians receive the care they need.”
As cranes rise and foundations take shape, the contribution of engineers is often hidden beneath concrete and steel. But their impact will be felt for decades to come – every time someone walks through the doors of a safer, smarter, more sustainable hospital.
