david ELLIS architect /NYB secured this project in 1994, by winning a World Bank sponsored design competition of over thirty of the largest firms from USA, Britain, Japan & Canada. The project included the design and construction of a Central Administrative Headquarters and main research facility to be used for health, food and environmental testing in Kuala Lumpur, nestled on a small and already densely occupied site.
Shortly after opening, this building became the headquarters for the athlete testing during the last Commonwealth Games. Keeping with our design values, these buildings are constructed to be flexible in nature, to allow for anticipated changes in technology, processes, or imperatives, without impeding, restricting or reducing the efficiencies of the laboratories.
The original project was an expansion to the existing laboratory facility. It involved doubling the current space and keeping within the existing framework of utilisation, materials and operation.
With the inclusion of the Ontario Forest Research Institute on the campus (design by dEa), this has become the largest forestry research establishment in Canada. The initial project consisted of:
Phase One involved a master plan, site services, chemical storage facility and new research greenhouses.
Phase Two included the addition of a new research wing matching the original architecture of the existing facility (pictured in foreground) and an extension and a complete renovation to 10,000 sq.ft. of the administration wing.
Phase Three consisted of extensive interior renovations to the existing laboratories to update them to contemporary standards.
Algoma University’s new Science Building was designed to LEED Gold standards and houses academic teaching and research activities in the natural and digital sciences. It also supports co-location of a number of other businesses organizations dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology research in the development and private sector commercialization of technology in the Algoma region.
Keeping with the advanced thinking of the function of the building, its structure was designed as a ‘green’ building, to LEED Gold standards, to ensure maximum energy efficiency and the conservation of energy.
"Viterbo will be a premier institution among small independ- ent universities in the upper Midwest” (from Vision 2005 “A Renaissance for Living and Learning in the 21st Century” )
Viterbo is a Catholic University located in Wisconsin, dedicated to ethics based education. Mr. Ellis provided the overall concept design and laboratory planning for this new school. Aesthetically, it integrates into the existing traditional campus architecture, yet inwardly, is a modern environment.
The new facility houses the University ́s President offices, 3-Distance Education Labs, 7-Chemistry Labs, 15-Biology Labs, 5-Research Labs, 12-Faculty offices and 2-Computer Labs. Integrating ethics into the science and technology disciplines, the students of Viterbo will have access to a state-of-the-art education that simultaneously offers knowledge and values-based learning. The new centre will bring the learning resources of the world to Viterbo. Special technology and distance-learning equipment will be available for members of the university and community to use. The centre includes a tiered conference auditorium to host webcasts and down-linked video conferences, as well as live and distance presentations involving technology, leadership and ethics.
Hospice palliative care provides physical, emotional,
psychological, spiritual and practical support, bringing
together family members, friends, volunteers, physicians,
nurses and other healthcare professionals, to maintain
dignity in death and support for individuals and families:
- Address physical, psychological, social, spiritual and
practical issues and associated expectations, needs,
hopes and fears.
-Prepare for and manage self-determined life closure
and the dying process.
-Cope with loss and grief during the illness and
bereavement.
To enable those objectives, a place of comfort and
warmth needs to be provided. Palliative Services has
acquired a large parcel of land in a naturally wooded
area, situated on the shore of the Lake, within easy reach
of Elliot Lake, to establish such a facility. The building will be
born of the same objectives as the desire to assist. They
should reflect those values of comfort, support, the
inclusion of family and friends, respect for privacy, yet with
the ability to provide trained staff and resources as
necessary.
Several architects were involved in the design of this state of
the art hospital, each bringing specific expertise to ensure its
successful completion. david ELLIS architect was involved
since 1997, beginning with the initial master plan and
continuing to the final design of many of the technically
challenging departments. The master plan phase, which
took over three years to complete, began with a possible
physical link between two existing hospitals, then a possible
redevelopment of one of these hospitals into a single acute
care facility and finally to the development of a new
hospital, on a greenfield site.
Over one hundred future directions were analysed and
redefined as part of the initial Master Plan, Analysis and
Programme Phase. These recommendations were translated
into a physical plan which includes 320 beds, a cancer
treatment centre and substantial critical and ambulatory
care facilities.
For the new hospital, Mr. Ellis designed the most departments
of all the architects involved, including the laboratories,
pharmacy, diagnostic imaging (digital imaging and x-ray),
bio-medical engineering, Ambulatory Care, CSR, etc., for
this project.
The purpose of this research facility is to provide health,
medical, forensic and environmental testing facilities for the
various Malaysian States and their capitals.
For efficiency, the Regional Laboratories were similarly
structured to the Central Laboratory in Kuala Lumpur, although
their function differs somewhat.
All five buildings design by our
Team, plus the three additional projects undertaken solely by
Mr. Ellis (laboratory consulting for two public health labs and the
Malaysia Blood Services Building), are linked through the Asian
‘MultiMedia Super Corridor’ and housed at the Multi-Media
University, so that each building can easily communicate and
share information and processes with any of their sister facilities
throughout the country.
This programme will address the end-of-life care for residents
of the Algoma District in a humanistic and caring fashion.
The plan consists of ten private bedrooms, plus support
areas. Each room will have access to the natural site that
surrounds the building. Internally there are many private
areas for families to meet, plus a glass enclosed sunroom for
communal use.
The entire building is located on grade, with no stairs to
negotiate, barrier free access through extra wide doors, with
lever handles, oversized light switches, and accessible
bathrooms and showers. The project uses in-floor heating to
provide additional comfort, room by room control and high
energy efficiency.
The project was built on an extremely tight budget, yet has
yielded a caring, home-like and inviting atmosphere.
Part of the largest forestry science and research campus in
Canada, this building contains laboratories, sophisticated
environmental chambers, greenhouses and administration
offices, designed in four quadrants on two floors. One half of
each quadrant has exterior views, whereas the other faces
onto the interior glazed “street”. Therefore, every office and
laboratory in the entire building is afforded natural light and
views. Along the internal ‘street’ are located places that
enable informal meetings and also for presentations and large
gatherings. All are designed to enhance the working
environment within and also to reinforce the importance of
humanity within the workplace.
Each laboratory backs onto vertical service cores which are
three storeys in height. The service cores allows remote access
to the building’s mechanical, electrical and communication
systems. Therefore systems may be adapted at any time with
minimal disruption to daily lab activities. Combined with
component based lab casework, the owners have been able
to easily reconfigure the laboratories necessitated by change,
programme, or technology.
This project involved a central collection, testing and headquarters
building for the National Blood Services Centre in Kuala Lumpur , as
part of the Multi-Media University Campus.
This specialised building houses all the Malaysian government’s
research, testing and storage of blood products. This includes the
National Blood Bank component, HIV testing and research, illegal
drug testing facilities, etc.
Along with HH Angus engineers who provided M&E design, Mr. Ellis
provided consulting for the functional layout of the building, plus
specialised laboratory consulting required for systems selection in this
unique field.
The Group Health Centre has grown several-fold and has
required several additions, satellite clinics and renovations
over the years to accommodate changes in programme
and expansion. The GHC is one of Canada’s largest and
well-known private health clinic. Creative phasing and
scheduling has been required to ensure the least disruption
to the facility and its operation.
David Ellis has personally executed all the design work to the
centre since he began his career. Projects include four
satellite clinics, a separate Women’s Health Centre, as well
as other occupancies including: anaesthesiology, surgery,
internal medicine, dentistry, counselling, diagnostic imaging,
physiotherapy, cardiac unit, csr, vision and eye care,
laboratories, phlebotomy, administration, board room, etc.
Recently we have completed the new 5000 SF Medical
Learner’s Facility at the GHC, plus in their satellite building a
new 5035 SF OBGYN facility and a 5013 SF Family Practitioner
Clinic for the GHC, plus several smaller clinics from 1000 to
3000 SF and a proposed pharmacy.
Mr. Ellis’s concept was to provide a large circular operatory to
allow unrestricted and efficient use of professional and
technical staff, in addition to providing new entry, reception
and administration area functions. The functional workflow for
the orthodontist dental suite was analysed and translated into a
physical form that is both efficient and reflects the process of
service delivery in the office, yet provides a modern and
exciting presence.
Materials, servicing, task and accent lighting, are all chosen to
suit the functional requirements, integration of technology,
maintenance and longevity of the dental practice, both now
and long into the future.
Additionally, the client base was assessed to ensure an
architectural presence that suited the predominantly teenage
patient group. We created a fun environment that is a
pleasant departure from the norm, with geometry and colour at
the forefront, with efficiency and functional transparency
hidden behind.
