I know, like children, perhaps we shouldn’t have favourites when it comes to the buildings we have designed? Not such an issue for me with an only child! But in terms of buildings this architectural project has always been closest to my heart. Located just a cycle away from where I live, the work of Te Omanga Hospice in Te Awa Kairangi is inspiring in itself: providing care to those in the last stages of their life. And so, it was my privilege, while I was at CCM, to be able to design a building for my own community, a place which I hoped would be somewhere where guests, their families, staff and anyone that visited, felt at home.
Yes there was media coverage: New hospice facility leaves a lasting impression | Habitat by Resene
Yes there were awards: Te Omanga Hospice – An Award Winning Facility – Te Omanga Hospice
But none of that really matters, because the true test of whether a building is delivering what I hope, is only in the feedback that I receive from those who have spent time there. And so excerpts like this email below: really fill my cup with joy.
“Yesterday I visited Te Omanga Hospice for the first time. Walked up the driveway, looked up and was gobsmacked. It was absolutely stunning. Nothing at all like I expected. Inside was just as impressive – that wooden vaulted ceiling, the sun pouring in, the glass everywhere. It was so calm and uplifting – which is exactly how you want to feel visiting a hospice. Please pass this onto the architect(s) who designed the building. If only I had the money (pigs. might. fly.) I’d get you to design me a house.” (name withheld)
Acknowledgements to CCM Architects. Please visit the link their website for more photos.