Phillips House provides outpatient services related to mood disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, adjustment and conduct disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse and other mental health conditions. These services are delivered in a warm, light filled, comfortable, non-institutional setting. A priority for North York General Hospital was to create a space that alleviated any of the added stress and stigma often felt by those seeking mental health treatment.
This adaptive reuse project transforms a historically significant 1940’s Georgian home into ‘A House and Garden for Healing’. The resulting 15,000 sq. ft. renovation and expansion is a warm, serene space providing outpatient mental health programs for children and adolescents. Taking advantage of the off-campus setting, Phillips House embodies the most advanced research in therapeutic environmental design.
The historical nature of Phillips House required heritage preservation and restoration of several features within the house and exterior landscape. The scope included the demolition of a two floor wing and the construction of a new 2,100 sq. ft. two floor addition. The project included new curtain walls, a flat roof with a commercial membrane and a peaked, shingled roof. A key element of the project was the integration of the addition, all roofing, curtain walls and windows into the existing heritage building.
Recognizing the role nature plays in overall mental health and healing, the overarching biophilic design incorporates both the building and grounds. Phillips House gives patients a connection to nature through the surrounding 1.2-acre green space. Maddie’s Healing Garden was named in memory of Madeline “Maddie” Grace German Coulter. This tranquil garden with its different zones, walking paths and herb and vegetable gardens provides patients with a calming natural setting for therapy, meditation, and physical activity.
