Location: Peterborough, Ontario
Date of Completion: 2019
Architect: Lett Architects Inc.
Nominated by: Dave Smith, MPP (Peterborough—Kawartha)

Creating a warm and comfortable space for those affected by life-threatening illness and grief, Hospice Peterborough provides an alternative vision for palliative and end-of-life care that puts autonomy, compassion, and comfort at the forefront.

A Comfortable Space for an Uncomfortable Topic

When it comes to topics such as life-threatening illness and end-of-life care, many of us imagine the sleek surfaces and depersonalized spaces of hospitals and other medical institutions. But Hospice Peterborough’s recently completed 16,000 square foot facility provides an alternative vision for the spaces we occupy in those difficult times, integrating an approach to care and well-being that addresses not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well.

Prioritizing the experience of visitors, residents, and staff, Hospice Peterborough is more reminiscent of a large home than a medical building. The building’s scale–only two storeys tall–and general massing is purposefully domestic, helping it blend into its residential setting. Inside, soft seating, an inviting fireplace, and plenty of natural light create a welcoming and familiar environment more akin to a living room than a clinical institution. The building’s architecture extends out into the landscape to create hidden courtyards and spaces that blend the natural surrounding with the interior. For Hospice Peterborough, it is important that everyone leave the building the same way they came in—including those who have passed. The lobby was designed to accommodate a procession and celebration of life that terminates at a tranquil oasis room for family and loved ones to gather.

This attention to care is carried through into the 10 bedrooms that form part of their hospice service. Warm wood surfaces like the doors and beautiful hand-made quilts make for a comfortable environment. The expansive windows, featuring low sills, allow patients to see the outside even when in bed—a small, but important move that shows compassion and care through architectural design.

Warm interior reminiscent of a living room. Image courtesy of Lett Architects Inc.

Gone But Not Forgotten

When Hospice Peterborough first conceived its new home in 2012, part of this vision included the renovation of an existing heritage building on the site known as the Dumble Langton House.

A former 1868 residence built by lawyer David. W. Dumble—and modelled no doubt on his family estate “Dromore” in Cobourg—the Dumble Langton House was a fine example of Victorian Gothic Revival residential architecture. The building had a number of distinctive features associated with this style, including steep, hipped gable end roofs, dramatic decorative bargeboard trim and drop finials, and pointed arch windows. Its interior had been modified numerous times throughout its history, particularly after Trent University purchased the house for use as offices and a residence back in 1965.

Sketch of front elevation of Langton House. Image courtesy of Trent University Library and Archives.

The hospice’s original plan was to renovate the historic building’s interior to host programming and administrative offices, while a new addition would be built to host the residential rooms. Unfortunately, shortly after construction started, it was discovered that the Dumble Langton House had severe foundation and structural integrity issues. The cost to address these problems was prohibitive and well beyond the reach of the hospice, which had already done significant fundraising to make the centre possible. Eventually the decision was made to demolish the structure. True to its mission, Hospice Peterborough recognized the grief of losing this historic residence by holding a ceremony to say farewell to the house.

The new building—which required a redesign during construction to adapt to this on-site change—pays homage to the historic residence. Its steep, hipped gable end roofs, overall massing, and even its exterior colour scheme are all borrowed from the Dumble Langton House, creating a link between the site’s past and future.

The domestic roofline references the site’s history. Image courtesy of Lett Architects Inc.

This post forms part of our World Architecture Day Queen’s Park Picks 2023 series in which the OAA asked Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) to nominate a prominent building, past or present, in their riding for a chance to learn more about it. Check out the rest of the series to learn more about great buildings across the province!