In 2007, GMK Associates was retained by the Hospice of Wake County (now known as Transitions LifeCare) to design and construct multiple new facilities on a campus in Raleigh, NC. These facilities totaling approximately 48,079 square feet were completed in 2009 and included a 19,565-sf Hospice Home, a 27,467-sf Administration and Bereavement Counseling Building, and a 1,047-sf Chapel. Designs for the facilities provided space for 14 inpatient beds and 6 residential beds with associated patient services, clinical needs, and family support areas.

In planning, varied user groups stressed the importance of creating a non-institutional, warm, residential environment that considered the family as a unit of care and incorporated the outdoors as much as possible. The design speaks to this by providing small, intimate wings of eight-room residential groups. Each room has outdoor access to a private patio, and there are common healing gardens and sun rooms. A central atrium with skylight adds natural light. Family amenities include living, dining and meeting rooms; fully-equipped kitchen; laundry/vending; visitor office; children’s playroom and chapel. 

As part of the project, GMK also provided preliminary planning for the client regarding a10-bed addition to the Hospice Home. In 2014, Transitions LifeCare retained GMK once again to proceed with full designs and construction for the approximately 7,740-sf additions that include the 10 beds, a new family room with fireplace, and nursing stations. Some of the new rooms are fitted for bariatric care and ventilators, which were not provided in the original facility. GMK’s services for the project include comprehensive design from initial programming though final design and construction administration for the additions.The construction of the additions was completed in 2015.