Irene Baron Eden Centre

Client: River East Personal Care Home
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Size: 45,700sf
Stage: Completed 2008

About
In 2008, this Supportive Housing project was designed and built for the River East Personal Care Home to provide another level of care for people in Winnipeg. The stand-alone 4,400m2 facility provides 48 suites, each of which is approximately 37m2. The amenity spaces include a full commercial-style kitchen, multi-purpose rooms, dining area, living area and library in each of the four wings. Irene Baron Eden Centre has been described as a flagship model for Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's supportive housing and far ahead of its time.

Irene Baron Eden Centre was the prototype of its kind to truly integrate a senior’s residential facility with personal care home life safety standards. This flagship model has been toured by countless groups aiming to build a seniors complex that targets a seniors population that requires a higher level of care than typically seen in 55 plus residences, but not quite the institution that a personal care home B2 Occupancy provides. This true “supportive housing project” has led the way to other centres to include the necessary life safety upgrades such as smoke control, wander guard, widened corridors, and enhanced exiting facilities
into a design model.

The design creates smaller communities of residents (typically 8-12) who share common living, reading, hobbies, and eating areas. The smaller groups are under the control of a single caregiver (no nursing stations) who programs all activities from a small kitchen set up with administration capabilities centred in a lively family living room. Suite sizes are 480 sf, about twice that of personal care homes, and provide a fully wheelchair-accessible bathroom, including a shower—a small living room and a kitchenette complete the suite with apartment-like amenities.