Eastbourne-based charity St Wilfrid’s wanted to expand its provision of specialist end-of-life care, and commissioned rhp to design a new facility that would double the capacity of its previous building. The new St Wilfrid’s Hospice provides care for up to 20 in-patients at any one time, and the comfort, support and care of those approaching death was paramount in our proposals. At the heart of the hospice lies ‘The Street’, a central double-height space populated by a café, welcome and waiting areas, and a galleried break-out space at first floor. A sequence of ornamental gardens and landscaped courtyards punctuates the linear form of the building, providing visual links and tranquil destinations for residents, staff and visitors, as well as acting as a focus for each en-suite bedroom. Rooflights assist our natural ventilation strategy and also bring daylight deep into the building plan, while the energy provided by solar panels ensures copious amounts of hot water, for which there’s always a high demand. Everyday facilities used by in-patients, such as Day Care, group and therapy rooms, a hairdresser’s and a gym, are all on the ground floor. Administration facilities such as management offices and an education suite, which enables the hospice to offer extensive training programmes in palliative care, are on the first floor.