The Ark launched in 2019 as a new highly-sustainable facility for Noah’s Ark, specifically designed to support children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families. Situated within a 7.5-acre nature reserve in Barnet, The Ark is the first new hospice building in London for 10 years, and allows the charity to increase the scale and quality of their work with children and families. The brief sought an inspiring space for palliative care, relaxation and adventure within a ‘home from home’ environment, designed for the needs of children living life as a child. The design is conceived as a welcoming, peaceful sanctuary, and a place of joy and discovery where families enjoy time together supported by the Noah’s Ark team. The Ark is designed with strong connections to its natural setting - an important contributor to wellbeing and the healing process. Conceived as square-shaped with landscaped gardens eroding each side, the concept evolved to sculpt a butterfly plan; the symbol of the children’s hospice movement depicting a brief but beautiful life. The double-height oak framed entrance hall, fully glazed at each end, creates a light and striking open volume as an uplifting space for families to socialise. Four wings run off the central hall with a section each for: therapies (soft play, sensory play, music therapy, an art room and cinema room); children’s bedrooms; family rooms; and administration. At lower ground, more private functions include bereavement suites, a multi-faith room and staff facilities. Each room has a link with the landscape via large windows/doors and openable timber panels, creating a domestic rather than medicalised environment. Bedrooms have poster boards and desks to personalise them, and cater for the cultural diversity of families in the area - including adjoining rooms to allow for separation of genders, and PIR lighting for Jewish families during Sabbath. The Ark is designed so that children’s beds and mobility equipment can be moved throughout, and onto large south-facing external decks, encouraging them to engage in activities. Understanding the stress clinical environments can cause, the landscape is designed to provide a safe, restorative outdoor setting where children and families can find respite and comfort. The Ark offers a holistic indoor-outdoor care journey, not restricted to treatment rooms but that begins on arrival, expands through the building and continues to the therapeutic gardens, demonstrating the ultimate link between palliative care, wellbeing and nature. The clinical brief centred on making spaces for children with diverse needs allowing as wide range of play activities and experiences as possible, while maintaining cleanliness, hygiene and control of infection as set out in the Department of Health’s Building Notes guidance. Special care was taken to ensure that wheelchairs and beds are able to access virtually all spaces including terraces and gardens, with inbuilt hoists creating a fully accessible environment. Specification of materials has taken into account the need for them to be resilient and easily cleaned, but incorporating natural materials and colours wherever possible. As designers we have a huge responsibility to deliver high-quality environments that facilitate the connection between people and place and improve physical, psychological and social wellbeing. The Ark is conceived as a welcoming place of joy and discovery where families enjoy time together supported by the Noah’s Ark team. The Ark was achieved through a unique collaboration between the design, property and construction sectors supporting the ‘Building the Ark’ appeal. Collaborators were involved in all stages of the development – from concept and fundraising through to planning and delivery – making the project possible by working on a pro bono or non-profit basis. The Ark is the first time that a bio-solar green roof has been used in the UK, with 185 photovoltaic panels generating significant electricity for the building, and wildflower planting supporting native wildlife and increasing the biodiversity on the site. Harvesting all rainfall via a surface drainage system, the green roof mitigates flooding risk on the sloping site and reuses water within the landscape irrigation system. A 23% reduction in regulated CO2 emissions over Part L 2013 was achieved, and the project targeted BREEAM Very Good.