ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a comprehensive compendium of planning and design guidelines for the architecture of hospice and allied care facilities. Aesthetic, functional, symbolic, the spiritual dimensions and challenges in designing for the terminally ill are discussed vis-à-vis a set of interwoven concepts and design strategies. The design considerations are presented in seven sections: 1. Site and context, 2. Arrival spaces, 3. Residential milieu/common spaces, 4. Residential milieu/private spaces, 5. Transitional spaces, 6. Connections with nature, and 7. Administration and the total environment. The concepts expressed therein emphasize multisensory immersion, the palliative functions of built form, water, solace, peace, warmth, emotional support and comfort, empowerment, awareness of one’s relationship with earth and sky, prospect-refuge affordances, social interaction affordances, and spiritual renewal and reconciliation. This chapter concludes with the design developed by the co-authors for the Hospice Hawaii.
