Contract - April 2011 - (Page 55)

By Jean Nayar Photography by Jim Roof Creative Photography Nestled in a picturesque pocket of a 200-acre swath of densely wooded wetlands in Albany, Ga., the Willson Hospice House, a woodframed structure with gabled roofs, ﬁeldstone accents, expansive windows, and sprawling porches, looks at ﬁrst glance like an expansive home, communing graciously with its natural rural surroundings. Indeed, the 34,000-sq.- . structure was developed to shelter terminally ill patients and their families during the ﬁnal days of life. Yet the building complex also is a highly functional medical facility, complete with all of the equipment—hospital-style beds, lighting, and nursing zones—required to meet the healthcare needs of dying patients. Designed by the Atlanta oﬃce of Perkins+Will, the thoughtfully planned, eco-friendly structure also is one of the count ’s most progressive hospice facilities. Developed to serve the 25-year-old hospice program of Albany’s Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, the $13-million facility contains a 15,000-sq.- . administrative component that accommodates a staﬀ of 50 home healthcare providers, who travel each day to minister to patients and their families in 11 surrounding counties. Most of the remaining portions of the facilities are divided into three pods, each containing six private patient rooms. “Hospices are a relatively new building type in the United States,” says Ila Burdette, Perkins+Will’s principal architect in charge of the project. “When we started designing them in 1994, there were relatively few examples to look at. What was most important for our client was to create a building that would not look like a hospital, or a nursing home, or an ICU, but rather a place that would make people comfortable and relaxed in spaces that feel like home.” As a result, all three of the patient-room pods of the Willson Hospice House are grouped around a shared family living room with space for dining, The cathedral ceiling in lobby (above) exposes glulam structural beams and pine tongue-and-groove planking. A ﬁeldstone ﬁreplace and bamboo ﬂooring anchor the inviting setting. One of three family living rooms (opposite) exudes a homey ambience wih comfortable seating, wool carpeting, and large windows opening onto expansive views. An exterior view of the dining area and porch of a family living space in one of three patient-room pods (le ) reveals a residential quality. www.contractdesign.com contract april 2011 55 http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - April 2011

Contract - April 2011
Table of Contents
Editor's Note
Industry
Resources: Nature Inspired
Focus: A Difficult Birth
Practice: From the Inside Out
Pure Spirit
Sensory Experience
Market Watch
Sibling Revelry
Screening Sophistication
Winter Wonderland
Full of Grace
Designers Rate
Sources
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - April 2011