BLOG #17 – We have developed an amazing project for an architectural competition "Home for the terminally ill #4"

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AN EMBRACE & A HUG

The main idea of the project is an urban mixed-use Hospital complex that presents a mental hug – an embrace from community and family. The hospice project is to provide terminally ill patients with a set of services that meet their physical and mental needs in a place near their residences and to maintain a sense of belonging to ease and release pain.

We chose an urban location in a residential and commercial environment in our areas where the hospital is located near a public parking lot (we chose an existing lot that allows for mixed uses). The palliative hospital integrates harmoniously into the environment and reflects the culture and architecture of the location by preserving the human scale and is designed in an inviting and open manner for the entire community to use its public facilities, including a garden, a café , and a community auditorium.

The design idea is to identify a path in every urban environment that connects the community.

We have chosen public gardens as meeting points and community connection and as a symbol of important moments in our lives, of memories that remain behind us. The hospice project is an integral part of this path and offers a meeting point in the form of an enveloping embrace.

The initial architectural form of the building derives from the unique shape of the plot, a common feature in urban conditions. The resulting mass undergoes a series of transformative adaptations: first, by identifying and linking the nearby public garden to the building through a continuous green pathway, the hospital becomes physically and symbolically embraced by the surrounding community. Second, a prominent tree located within the adjacent green space inspired the crescent form adopted for the hospice floors, echoing the gesture of an open hug. Finally, the most spiritual spaces of the program are positioned at the highest point of the structure, overlooking the city from a serene, acoustically shielded location—also articulated in soft, embracing curves.

The "Hug Structure" is an intimate architectural space designed in a crescent shape, allowing for seating around a central point. Its defining elements are vertical wooden slats forming both the walls and a movable partition, filtering natural light and external views inward—reminiscent of selective clearings deep within a forest. The spatial concept seeks to evoke the embrace nature offers during moments of inner reflection, while remaining grounded in a familiar, communal, and medically supportive environment.

The finishing materials are composed of natural wood paired with soft, upholstered seating that invites extended therapeutic use. This environment supports a range of psychological and emotional therapies—both individual and family-based—in a manner that reinforces dignity and comfort. Each time the room is closed for use, the soft internal lighting signals a therapeutic session is in progress, gently requesting respect for the patient’s privacy and emotional space.

Plans

The building is designed with a strong commitment to sustainability, particularly in terms of its orientation. The transparent, open façade faces north, minimizing direct solar exposure and avoiding the "greenhouse effect" that often results from excessive heat gain.

Furthermore, in every floor, the key communal spaces—where most users interact—are also oriented northward. This strategic placement aligns with the local climate, ensuring that these areas remain naturally ventilated and thermally comfortable for the majority of the day, significantly reducing the need for mechanical cooling and enhancing the building’s overall environmental performance.

Landscape architecture - the ground floor is public, split in two with a green path passing between two wings and

inviting the community to come and meet at the cafe and public facilities.

Ground floor West: The hospital lobby. A day club for the community’s elderly includes a therapy pool and coffee.

In the northern part, a descent to the parking lot straight from the main road.

Floors 3-4: A nursing department is planned according to the Ministry of Health's planning guidelines for

supporting geriatric patients for 24 beds and staff.

Floor 5: A palliative department for Hospice patients,

including 15 rooms, a kitchen and sanitary equipment, a large space for therapy in groups (the walls are flexible) and two versions of “Hug spaces“ - Large scale for groups and Small scale for dining with family. Both 5th and 6th floor are united with a high , light double space, with an open view of the city and community (home).

Floor 6: A spiritual space (chapel) , a library and a small therapy pool.

Interior views

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