A charity-funded project, the new Hospice building is a culmination of the remarkable generosity of fundraisers and organisations from Norfolk and beyond, and support from an army of volunteers.
The new building means more people will receive the best possible end-of-life care at the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge, as it will provide increased choice and access to the specific services they require when they need them.
In addition to 24 inpatient beds, a day unit, and a well-being centre, the Lodge will act as a hub for community-based services, enabling people to receive care in their own homes. The building also houses office space for the charity’s head office and administrative functions, and a café provides a welcoming space with the generated income going straight to the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity.
The layout and design are tailored to meet the specific needs of clinical and support teams, developed through LSI’s significant experience of delivering new build Hospices and close collaboration with key stakeholders.
The building has been designed to resemble a typical Norfolk ‘Farmstead’; a collection of different scale buildings such as a farmhouse, barn, and stable block arranged around an open yard. These forms are instantly familiar and recognisable within the rural landscaped setting, which has enabled the design team to place a new development that doesn’t seem out of place and simultaneously creates a ‘home from home’ environment that is non-clinical and non-institutional in appearance.
The farmstead concept also informed the selection of materials and use of traditional detailing, with a simple material palette of red brickwork, pantile roof and extensive use of timber. The Norfolk-blend bricks used for the hospice were sourced from a supplier just 2 miles from the site. The handmade appearance of the selected brick lends the building a pre-weathered character, helping it to appear as if it has been part of the landscape for many years.
A key component to the brief was ‘bring the outside in’ and the importance of landscape and nature can offer to wellbeing, is ever present in the scheme. The interior design has been heavily influenced by Lady Bacon, the Patron of the Charity, who was inspired by flowers from the garden and utilising artwork as a way to introduce nature into the interiors.
Beautiful landscaped gardens at the eight-acre site will play a significant role in supporting the wellbeing of all who visit the lodge. Each inpatient room has direct access to a private garden area, with doors wide enough for beds to be taken outside. Communal areas such as the café, lounges, and chapel lead onto and overlook a central courtyard, offering views of the surrounding landscape.
The hospice is an all-electric building meaning that the site is entirely fossil fuel free and produces zero carbon emissions in operation. Although very traditional in its appearance the building meets all the standards of a modern, energy efficient building and performs exceptionally well thermally.
“LSI’s design for the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge will enable more people to receive the best possible end-of-life care, with increased capacity for inpatient beds, a larger day services department and a wellbeing centre. The facility will also act as a hub for community-based services, in which specialist palliative care community teams are coordinated to enable people to receive support in their own homes.” – Sandra Dinneen, Strategic Project Adviser, Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity.
