Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project

Island Health is replacing the aging Cowichan District Hospital (CDH) in Duncan, BC. Construction is expected to complete in 2027. Evolve performed the role of Owner’s Engineer for electrical, communications and security, and developed the business case and concept design for a new $1,400M 204 bed acute care facility.

Building on the success of the North Island Hospitals Project, Evolve helped develop concept plans for a fully-electrified hospital. The new facility will be 30% more energy efficient than the current CDH with a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We have helped establish a facility that embraces the latest technologies while being highly scalable for future site development and climate change.

Evolve’s concept design incorporated medium-voltage generators and transfer switch schemes to enable the hospital’s significant electrical loads to be fully supported in the event of a utility outage.
Communications infrastructure was specified to be highly redundant, robust and secure to ensure continued operation and adaptability.

The facility is expected to be the most advanced healthcare facility on the Island and will provide excellent healthcare for the Cowichan Valley residents.

This multi-year contract included:

• Preparation of indicative designs;
• Development of performance specifications;
• Updating of client technical standards;
• Detailed design review; and
• Technical advisory services.

Scope of work included:

• Power distribution;
• Power generation;
• Lighting;
• Life safety systems;
• Communication systems;
• Healthcare systems; and
• Security systems.