Alberta Children’s Hospital: A place to heal – designed by children for children

The Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary was the first freestanding pediatric facility built in Canada in more than 20 years. Today, it is one of Western Canada’s largest children’s hospitals, supporting 100,000 kids and families each year with over 75,000 emergency visits and 10,000 surgeries, while extending care to rural communities through its transfer program.

The design was shaped by extensive consultation with children, families, medical staff, and the Child and Youth Advisory Council. Their vision created a warm, inviting, family-centred facility that feels more like a home than a hospital. Principles of respect, collaboration, and confidence-building guided the design, which emphasizes natural light, access to nature, and dedicated spaces for play, socialization, and family connection.

Private patient rooms allow parents to stay comfortably overnight, with areas for rest and reflection. Family accommodation suites provide long-term amenities, including kitchens, dining areas, and laundry. A resource centre, sunroom, pet visiting room, and healing gardens further support wellbeing and recovery.

The hospital’s playful design – inspired by the drawings created by actual patients – reduces fear and creates a sense of childlike wonder, with colourful façades and large windows that flood spaces with light. Interior spaces are flexible and adaptable, using modular layouts to accommodate future expansion and changing healthcare needs. Offices and clinics can convert into patient care spaces as volumes grow.

Sustainability was also a priority, with energy-efficient systems, motion-activated controls to reduce touchpoints, and native planting in outdoor spaces.

The Alberta Children’s Hospital’s transformational healthcare environment balances the highest quality of care with humanity and warmth through an innovative model for family-centred care that continues to evolve.