Design for Mass Timber Hospital in Canada Wins Fast Company 2026 World Changing Ideas Award

The Quinte Health Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH) in Picton, Ontario, Canada, is a winner of Fast Company’s 2026 World Changing Ideas Awards in the “general excellence” category. Upon completion in 2028, it will be the first acute care hospital in North America constructed with an unencapsulated all mass timber structure.

“This award belongs to the many people who believed in the future of healthcare in Prince Edward County and worked tirelessly to make it happen,” said Quinte Health President and CEO Stacey Daub. “The new Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital is the result of years of partnership, advocacy, generosity and determination. It reflects the ingenuity and collaborative spirit of smaller communities, our design partner, and our relentless commitment to delivering community-centred care for generations to come.”

The new 23-inpatient-bed, 97,000-square-foot hospital represents a deeply collaborative effort between Quinte Health, Infrastructure Ontario, HDR, M. Sullivan & Son Limited, and the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation. Currently under construction, the hospital establishes a new benchmark for sustainable healthcare infrastructure.

“The Quinte Health Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital is proof of what’s possible when a community helps shape its own future,” said Jason-Emery Groën, design director, HDR, Kingston, Ontario. “The people of Prince Edward County have been central to this project from the beginning, helping create a hospital that advances sustainability, resilience and a stronger model for healthcare delivery.”

PECMH’s timber structure, geothermal energy systems, building-integrated photovoltaics, high-performance envelopes, public gardens and green roofs position the hospital as a pioneering example of how one of the most energy-intensive building typologies can be reimagined for a lower-carbon future.