Stokes Family Donor Garden
at BJC Hospice House
As conceptualized, the Stokes Family Garden is a place for families and patients to spend precious moments and make long-lasting memories in an outdoor environment
Early in the installation, the garden is establishing as an outdoor environment for recuperation and respite.
The circular donor garden is home to distinct gathering spaces for people seeking various settings.
The natural and the built come together to create a garden with many textures and options for visitors
"Hospice helps families make every moment count by focusing on the spiritual and emotional care of patients, as well as physical comfort."
Collaborators
BJC Healthcare
Loomis Associates
Project Facts
Size:
2,800 SF
Completion:
Summer 2017
Facts:
Seven native limestone boulders
Twenty-seven distinct native plant species
Custom designed pergola with lighting, nurse call-button and outdoor fan
Fully ADA compliant and designed for hospital bed and wheelchair access
The Stokes Family Garden is an intimate, handicap accessible outdoor space directly adjacent to Evelyn’s House. A new standard in Hospice care, Evelyn’s House is a 16 bed end-of-life care facility for both adult and pediatric patients and part of the BJC Healthcare System. The radial geometry of the design is intended to relieve anxiety in patients, staff, and visitors while the positioning of built-in seating provides a variety of spaces for sun or shade and a range of privacy options. At the back of the garden, a pergola hosts an exterior ceiling fan, extending use in the warmer months, and providing shade to visitors hoping for a place to enjoy the outdoors. Water has been integrated into the design with a small, scultpural fountain to encourage the feeling of tranquility.
The planting design includes multiple shade trees for summer sun relief and a diverse mix of perennials which provide floral interest throughout the growing season, including while dormant. Shade and flowering trees will add to the interest and will allow for a sense of enclosure. First in the spring, bulbs were utilized throughout to indicate life at first thaw. Native boulders are employed for variation and texture.
The Details
the garden
is a place
for respite
edges
ebbs
eddies