PHOTO TOUR: Margaret’s Place Hospice
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The open two-story great room and adjoining patio function as the central hub of the hospice. The large deck becomes an extension of the living space for residents, families, and caregivers, with a barbecue and seating area for family gatherings. On the second floor, the design features a private staff deck, designed as a refuge from the natural stress of work.
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A unique feature of the facility is the ability to roll the patient beds out onto a private covered patio, an extension of the patient room. These patios all feature stunning views out over the ravine behind the facility, with protected views that will never change. Now complete, it is a common site to see deer coming to feed outside of the rooms, and these spaces gives patients the unique opportunity to interact with their natural surroundings at all times of year.
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The hallways are designed wider than standard, allowing for the movement of patients and patient beds from their rooms on the left to the support environments on the right. To balance what can become institutional, the use of natural but durable flooring, traditional wainscoting, and pieces from a curated art collection help balance this feel. Unique in this corridor, skylights punctuate the ceiling, creating a grid-like pattern and illuminating the hall with natural light during the daylight hours.
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A family’s experience in the hospice was as important to the design team as that of the residents. This is one of two more intimate family rooms, featuring a kitchenette, TV, and lounging areas where caregivers can retreat for some private time, or families and patients can gather and create memories together. The natural, locally sourced stone fireplace becomes a focal point of the design, while the view takes on equal importance as it does in resident rooms. The private patio extends the space out into the ravine areas and becomes another refuge.
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The entry opens into a two-story waiting room, framing a beautiful tree that sits on the edge of the ravine. The mantel, a Douglas fir wood, mimics the wooden framed timber beams exposed throughout the facility, setting off the natural stone fireplaces found throughout. Large artwork pieces have been specially curated from donated collections from the community.
Nestled on the edge of a wooded ravine, the site of Margaret’s Place Hospice in Dundas, Ontario, Canada, became the inspiration for its design, helping the team balance both a homey feel and supportive environment.
The new timber-framed, 25,000-square-foot, 10-bed hospice opened for its first residents in September 2021. The V-shaped structure is designed so that all-private resident rooms line the outside of the structure, connecting them with the natural environment that surrounds the facility. Each room is framed with large picture window views over the ravine and private, covered decks allowing beds to be wheeled outside.
There are two family living rooms at opposite ends of the structure, and a great room creates a hub at the center of the building. Nurses’ stations, therapy rooms, and additional quiet spaces for families are positioned opposite to the private rooms, where views are not a priority. Additional staff areas are placed on a partial second floor, a separation that allows for retreat.
Project details:
Facility name: Margaret’s Place Hospice
Location: Dundas, Ontario, Canada
Completion date: September 2021
Owner: St. Joseph’s Villa
Total building area: 25,000 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: $7.4 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $296
Architecture firm: McCallumSather
Interior design: McCallumSather
General contractor: IRA McDonald
Engineering: Mantecon Partners
Builder: IRA McDonald
