Nats’oojeh Hospital and Health Centre
Advancing Climate-Smart Healthcare for Northern Communities
A new healthcare facility that weaves Indigenous values, community well-being, and low-carbon design into the heart of Fort St. James
Image credit: ZGF
reLoad’s Role:
Building Energy Code Consultant
Energy Modelling for Guarantee
Energy Efficiency Measures Advisory
LEED Energy Modelling
ASHRAE 90.1-2016 Compliance
Project Size: 8,000 m²
Project Category: Healthcare
Location: Fort Saint James, BC
Client: Northern Health Authority
Architect: ZGF Architects Inc.
Image credit: ZGF Architects Inc.
A Climate-Forward and Culturally Rooted Model for Rural Healthcare
The Nats’oojeh Hospital and Health Centre replaces the former Stuart Lake General Hospital with a modern, purpose-built facility designed in deep collaboration with local First Nations. The name Nats’oojeh means ‘everyone healing’ in Dakelh, and was chosen in consultation with Elders from local First Nations. The centre provides acute-care services, a primary care clinic, and 18 long-term care beds, along with dedicated cultural spaces that reflect community values and support holistic healing.
As part of the design team, reLoad led the project’s energy and carbon strategy to ensure high performance, compliance, and resilience. Our scope included DBA energy guarantee modelling and design guidance, BC Building Code compliance modelling, and LEED Gold optimized energy performance modelling and documentation. We also guided the team through the CleanBC Custom New Construction (CNC) application and completed comprehensive energy studies to align design decisions with both operational efficiency and climate adaptation goals.
Now open to the public, Nats’oojeh stands as a benchmark for climate-resilient, low-carbon healthcare, a space that heals people and the planet, grounded in Indigenous knowledge and designed for a changing climate.
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