(Photos from Jim Pattison Children's Hospital by Amy Thorp Photography)
A former Weyburn resident, Marj Olson, won an international award for her work on the lighting of the lobby for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon.
She is the daughter of Roland and Lois Olson of North Weyburn, and was named to the IES Illumination Award of Merit for the project, which she did working as a technologist for WSP, an engineering firm in Saskatoon.
Olson explained that the design work for the new children's hospital started in 2010 and she worked on the project almost full time until it opened September 2019 and then beyond.
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) sponsors the awards and project designers submit projects for evaluation and awards.
This submission was submitted in conjunction with HD Architects, who designed the additions and renovations to the Weyburn Comprehensive School.
The hospital has several colour-changing highlights designed to provide passive distraction for children coming for treatment to the hospital. The distraction provided by changing colours aids in reduction in pain and anxiety. Giving some of the control to the patient also provides a distraction.
“The colour changing in the lobby is an attention-grabbing feature that can immediately distract,” said Olson. “Many details in the hospital are visual reminders of the nature that surrounds us and mimicking the aurora borealis brings in another one.”
The Jim Pattison Children's Hospital was at the intersection of many technologies. Fluorescent lighting was making way for new LED lighting technology. Lighting controls were becoming more advanced. Instead of drafting on a flat surface, the building was modelled in 3D using Revit.
“As a technologist, it was a challenging and inspiring project to work on. I created working drawings for lighting and power systems, did lighting calculations and chose light fixtures. In addition, it was my task to interpret the architectural, owner, and family requirements and ensure that these requirements were accurately reflected in the construction documents and that the contractor fulfilled those requirements,” Olson explained, adding that she is a technologist with more than 35 years of electrical experience.
WSP is one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consulting firms, with over 48,000 talented people globally. They are locally dedicated, with international scale. In Saskatchewan, they have vibrant offices in Saskatoon and Regina where they plan, design, manage and engineer communities to thrive.
The IES (https://www.ies.org/about/mission-vision-beliefs/) is an organization that seeks to improve the lighted environment.
