Alice Hendrie

As lifespans increase and chronic illness becomes more prevalent, there is a need for a type of architecture that deals with end-of-life care and its attendant practices. Research for my dissertation topic – which studied how the architecture and design of Maggie’s Centres can offer solace and support – provided me with the necessary requirements for the proposal and helped to enforce my thesis: creating a Maggie’s Centre for The Barras. Information showed Calton’s life expectancy to be lower than the Glasgow average, however emerging evidence indicates that people given early palliative care and support have better outcomes. Recent figures reveal that cancer was the primary diagnosis of 87% of referrals to hospice care. Of course not everybody using a Maggie’s Centre dies from their condition, but this space allows them to breathe a little bit and speak to others in the community facing similar problems. Everyone needs a place to acquire brief respite: to see, but without being seen.