Design Challenge and Design Ideas

To design a cohesive building and interior which is sympathetic and reflects the nature of the services provided – end of life care for terminally ill patients and their families. This required a strong but simple strategy based around circulation and architectural language.

To address these important factors the architectural form of the building was designed as ‘domestic’ in scale, providing a semblance of familiarity and comfort in this emotionally charged environment.

Central to the design is a communal external space which is the ‘heart’ of the building. Around this central courtyard was designed a strong but geometrically simplistic circulation strategy.

The design purposely avoids the aesthetics and mood of a clinical institutional environment. Colours, finishes and materials representing a ‘natural’ aesthetic were carefully selected to create a relaxed comforting setting, not only for patients and family members but also for the dedicated staff.

How the brief was fulfilled

The building is designed to work as a community, with social and break out spaces internally and externally. It gives family and visitors opportunities to take time out and to interact with others.

The heart of this new facility is the central courtyard. As well as providing relaxation space for residents and staff, it was also designed to cater for events. The six bedroom wings are accessed via glazed corridors which overlook the central courtyard and these corridors allow a view across the site, breaking down the scale of the development.

Accessible facilities are distributed in a balanced way throughout the facility and the wayfinding design compliments the architecture. The use of feature colours in the bedroom wings allows the user to orientate themselves within the building.

The bedrooms have a semi-private space directly outside which lead onto a shared communal space. The external windows and door have integrated blinds, operable by the resident to allow complete privacy when required.
The large bedrooms were designed primarily with the patient and family in mind. The finishes in the bedrooms were carefully considered to provide a comfortable and relaxed environment. A neutral base pallet for flooring & walls is co-ordinated with a feature colour on selected interior items. The clinical sink was made to feel separate from the bedroom itself to aid with the non-clinical feel of the bedroom interior. Particular attention was paid to the lighting in the bedrooms to respond to the various needs of the residents and staff. Each bedroom has an overhead ceiling hoist with storage for the cassette. In the bariatric bedrooms the hoists extend into the ensuites. An armchair / fold-out bed is provided with a dedicated reading light so that a family member can stay with the resident overnight without too much disruption. The generous room also allows for more seating for the family members, catering for up to 5 people.

The adjacent ensuites are designed as assisted wet rooms and the quality of the materials and finishes correspond to the bedroom design to create an integrated fully assisted private facility for the family.