Exploring 'the domestic' in contemporary hospice architecture: a critical examination of the architecture and design of in-patient palliative care facilities in England

Although 40 million people worldwide need palliative care annually, there is a lack of understanding about how the architecture and design of palliative care environments helps or hinders this care. I will conduct a new critical examination of English hospice architecture and explore how palliative care design affects the experiences of patients, visitors and staff. I will consider attempts to make hospices "homelike", questioning whose homes they resemble, and explore whether certain designs contribute to some groups feeling excluded. I will examine the architecture and design of palliative care facilities by visiting them in person and by studying primary documents about hospice design. In two facilities I will conduct field work, observing and interviewing patients, visitors and staff. This research will provide insights for policy makers about how to design inclusive palliative care buildings which meet the specific needs of those receiving and giving palliative care.