North Shore Hospice Expansion
The North Shore Hospice Expansion Project required an architectural team that could not only create an inspiring new space for palliative care patients and their families, but also seamlessly collaborate with health authorities, clients, community members—and even master gardeners—to bring a unique vision to life. JDa provided an ideal fit. Today, the North Shore Hospice houses British Columbia’s first and only palliative care hub, encompassing the original hospice, a new outpatient clinic, the innovative Every Day Counts activity centre and an established hospice garden.
The soaring white ceiling of the Every Day Counts activity centre imparts a sense of optimism to people taking part in restorative activities such as art, yoga and meditation. Clinic spaces provide palliative care clients with centralized access to their care teams of doctors, nurses and counsellors.
Keeping humans’ affinity for natural materials at the fore, JDa chose 95% above-grade structural wood, frequently featuring exposed wood elements in the interiors. Off-the-shelf metal paneling on the northern exterior of the new building is both durable and beautiful, proving that aesthetics and economics need not be mutually exclusive.
A therapeutic design
Our goal was to create spaces that allowed clients with a terminal diagnosis to focus on living. We invited an abundance of natural light into the inspirational, open areas created for activities. We composed the main entrance at a smaller, more human scale to act as a kind of hug that envelops visitors upon their arrival. Interior shades of pale green and grey evoke the tranquil, grassy tones of the adjacent hospice garden while warm teal accents enliven the palliative care areas.
Collaboration is key
At JDa, one of our greatest strengths—and greatest joys—is bringing people together to create the most beautiful and functional realization of a project. During the North Shore Hospice expansion, we consulted with a diverse range of stakeholders. Holding community town hall meetings with local residents, interviewing healthcare managers, speaking with caregivers, clients and clients’ families, and collaborating with landscapers and gardeners ensured that the hospice complex met the needs of disparate groups who are involved with the facility.
“This is British Columbia’s first and only palliative care hub. The completion of these facilities, and the speed at which this got built and open for the community is quite an achievement, and something we can all be proud of.”
Jo-Ann Wood, Chair of the North Shore Hospice and Palliative Project