TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers

TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior PhotographyTSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior Photography, ChairTSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Interior PhotographyTSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior PhotographyTSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - More Images+ 28

  • Clients: CHILDREN’S HOSPICE PROJECT (CHP)
  • Design Team: Junichi Katase, Ryo Deguchi, Hokuto Asada, Keiichiro Inoue, Tetsuya Oishi, Akiko Hyakutake, Syuji Onoda, Muneto Kubota, Yoko Kurabayashi, Eiji Miyake, Takefumi Yamashita, Kaori Kikawa
  • Furniture Design: TAIJI FUJIMORI ATELIER inc., Taiji Fujimori, Sho Ishii
  • Textile Design: Yoko Ando, Kasumi Yamaguchi, Yoko Ando Design
  • City: Osaka
  • Country: Japan
More SpecsLess Specs
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior Photography
© Koichi Torimura

Text description provided by the architects. TSURUMI Children’s Hospice (TCH) is modeled on Britain’s Helen & Douglas House and is Japan’s first community-supported hospice for children. TCH’s vision is to support children living with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses and their families by working closely with them as friends, as a world-class children’s hospice that has deep roots in the local community. The facility is located within Tsurumi Ryokuchi Flower Expo Memorial Park in Tsurumi Ward, Osaka. A part of TCH is open as a public square, functioning as a hub where children staying at the facility be able to play with neighborhood children and their families interact with the community on a daily basis, with the aim of becoming a foundation from which the entire community supports the children and their families.

TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior Photography
© Koichi Torimura
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Image 26 of 33
Plan - 1st Floor
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Interior Photography, Windows
© Koichi Torimura
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Image 27 of 33
Plan - 2nd Floor
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior Photography
© Koichi Torimura

Design concept: "Not just a home, but a place like a village - What we architects were asked to do was to envision and realize the ideal form of “community-supported hospice for children”. Without precedent for this building type in Japan, we began by envisioning the scene of life here. It is like a porch facing the large garden with soaking up the sunlight, a table where family can watch over their child play in the small garden and a quiet place to get away for a while but can also watch everyone else.

TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Image 29 of 33
Section 02
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Interior Photography
© Koichi Torimura

Finally, we realized that important thing for children and family is to be able to choose a place to stay depending on how they felt at the time. Then, each place is loosely connected to each other without being isolated. Moreover, there are not only to be relaxed like a home, but also to have a variety of spaces, scales, and places like a village. It's a place where they can have connections, and a place full of "various" things that make they feel special in daily life.

TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Interior Photography, Living Room
© Koichi Torimura
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Interior Photography, Dining room, Table, Chair, Beam
© Koichi Torimura

Creating a place full of "various” - TCH is an all wood-frame structure, with six "houses" connected by a "space of the street". Each "houses" have rooms with various characteristics, such as the playrooms, music room, living areas, kitchens, and accommodations and there are full of fun and joy walking through the "space of the street".

TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Interior Photography, Beam
© Koichi Torimura

In between the houses, there are small hangout spaces and gardens of various shapes and sizes, where you can take a break or even hide and cry. For the interior and exterior finishes, we apply a lot of wood, tiles, metal, and soft materials, planning to emphasize the gentle touch and the pleasure of discovery. The deep eaves facing the courtyard block out the strong sunshine in summer, and the “space of the street” allows a comfortable breeze to flow through, allowing the residents to relax and feel nature as it is all year round. The “space of the street” extends to the park square and leads to the subway station and local residential area. In between the gently curving streets are characteristic places such as the "Community Square" and "Play Hill", where people can play together with neighborhood children and have new encounters through seasonal events.

TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior Photography, Chair
© Koichi Torimura
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Image 30 of 33
South & East Elevations
TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior Photography
© Koichi Torimura

A primitive house form that everyone can recognize as a home - The proportions and details of the facade were studied in order to create a primitive house form that anyone who comes here can recognize as a home. For ease of maintenance, no eaves gutters were installed, and gravel gutters were planned to be placed directly under the drainage.

TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior Photography
© Koichi Torimura

Aiming to create a gentle scene that moves the heart - The goal of our architects was to create a gentle scene that moves the heart. We have proposed a big concept, given shape, and designed a place full of fun and small discoveries for children and families who spend time there, and for the people who support them. We hope that this view will inspire people to sympathize with children and their families, and that the circle of support will spread throughout the community, society and Japan. Furthermore, this architecture and visions will become a guidepost for the second and third community-supported hospice for children.

TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers - Exterior Photography
© SS Co., Ltd

Project gallery

See allShow less

Project location

Address:1-chōme-1-77 Hama, Tsurumi Ward, Osaka, 538-0035, Japan

Click to open map
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "TSURUMI Children’s Hospice / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers" 22 Nov 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/972238/tsurumi-childrens-hospice-taisei-design-planners-architects-and-engineers> ISSN 0719-8884

© Koichi Torimura

TSURUMI 儿童安养院 / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.