Designing for palliative care: Three ideas toward an architecture of generosity

Abstract

Palliative care has a distinct philosophy that is not always reflected in the architecture created for it. From a study conducted to better understand the relationship of the built environment to patient and family experiences of palliative care, this article discusses the benefits of access to nature, the provision of semi-private spaces beyond the patient room, and environments that support the rituals of home. Research methods included semi-structured interviews, an online survey, and an architectural precedent study.