Thunder Bay Correctional Complex

Delivered through a Public-Private Partnership (P3), the Thunder Bay Correctional Complex includes a purpose-built center designed to meet current standards for safety, wellness, and reintegration, while adding new beds to the Province of Ontario’s adult correctional system. Specialized areas support mental and physical health, rehabilitation programs, and Indigenous cultural practices—reflecting a dignified, restorative approach within the justice system.

Our team, working in association with KMA, led the Planning, Design, and Conformance (PDC) scope, delivering integrated services across architecture and structural and MEP services, with performance specifications developed as part of this coordinated effort. KMA focused on detention planning and security while NORR translated the vision into a compliance and performance-based framework that defined the complex’s technical, operational, and spatial parameters. This included setting clear standards for quality and risk management throughout the project lifecycle. More than 25 structured stakeholder sessions with staff, service providers, and Indigenous representatives shaped culturally responsive, program-driven solutions.

The design accommodates a range of security levels, balancing high-security zones with residential-style living units. Shared program spaces help individuals access support and prepare for reintegration into their communities. Challenges such as controlled circulation, accessibility, interaction points, and infrastructure phasing were addressed through early coordination and detailed conformance reviews. Our team’s approach emphasized collaboration and integrated thinking at every stage, playing an ongoing role in reviewing designs, construction details, and proposed changes to maintain alignment with performance expectations.

The P3 model used for the delivery of the Thunder Bay Correctional Complex embeds performance oversight, risk-sharing, and life-cycle maintenance requirements that support operational resilience. Designed with flexibility for evolving practices, the complex demonstrates how secure institutions can align with restorative justice principles through planning and human-centered design.

Planning, Design, and Conformance Architects: NORR / KMA

Renderings courtesy of Design, Build, Finance, Maintain Architects: Zeidler Architecture / DLR Group