At St Michael’s Hospice our vision was to harness the therapeutic benefits of the idyllic rural landscape. Throughout the design process we worked closely with the architects to bring the outside in via a series of beautifully framed views. 

The building is designed around patient clusters, which offer dignified privacy to their residents. Every cluster sits around a semi-enclosed courtyard, which offers ever-more expansive views as residents pass through the space.

Each courtyard is a peaceful oasis, punctuated by pools, bridges and rock cascades which come to life after rainfall, providing a gentle symphony of sound and movement.

Moving away from the building, the accessible gardens open up to offer unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. Streams and rills channel rainwater, offering therapeutic water features to soothe and calm.

The orchards surrounding the hospice have been extended into the lower pastures, and wildflower meadows soften the transition from the pastoral to the ornamental planting.

Locally quarried Callow sandstone lines the patios and punctuates the cascades, while clay paving leads visitors to the main entrance.

It’s an approach that channels the natural benefits of the landscape to lift the spirits and create a sense of peace and calm.