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"KOON Palliative Care Specialized Hospital was established to provide comprehensive nursing and medical services. As the name implies, the facility specializes in the palliative care approach, which aims to provide physical and mental comfort to patients in the latter stages of their lives. KOON's caregiving services are operated based on the consideration of each patient and their family members as one unified unit. This approach allows everyone to spend their remaining days together. Each patient is given the highest possible quality of life while family members receive the much-needed comfort during this difficult time. As the project's design team, IF integrates the mental and physical aspects of a person’s life with their connection to the environment and other human beings to create a holistic healthcare approach through design that prioritizes the well-being and benefits of both patients and their family members.

The journey of architectural design development began after the design team conducted thorough research and data collection on the project’s surrounding context and the functional requirements for patients, family members, and hospital workers. Since the hospital is built on a narrow parcel of land near Bangmod Canal, the architecture is oriented north-south so that the main functional spaces are open to natural wind. The main green space is located toward the north side of the building. The single-load corridor, which was chosen as the layout for the hospital rooms, also faces north to take full advantage of the green space, adhering to the ""Biophilic Design"" concept, which emphasizes a connection to natural surroundings.

IF investigates the relationship between the environment and the quality of treatments provided before incorporating the findings into the design of each component of the hospital's architectural and interior program. Each hospital room has a large entrance door and windows with louvres so that patients can interact with others walking along the corridor. Despite its small size, the corridor functions as another living area, as the social activities and interactions it provides are critical to relieving a patient's feelings of loneliness and isolation. The windows can also be opened to allow natural airflow and light into the room. The inside of each unit is meant to allow users, both patients and caregivers, to curate their own living environment by adding personal items and photographs as part of the decoration, creating a soothing, welcoming, and home-like atmosphere. This helps transform most hospitals' inflexible, clinical environments into spaces that not only provide comfort but also create significant and memorable experiences for patients and their families.

While patients' physical and mental agony are not only acknowledged but prioritized, it is the 'caregivers' who are often overlooked, despite their critical role in accompanying the patient on the final leg of their journey. Given that being a caregiver can be a stressful task and the experiences can be intense, the design team included a private space by the window for the caregiver. This space is located toward the back of the room and features a comfy bed to provide them with maximum convenience and comfort while resting, both during the day and at night.

KOON's common areas contain amenities where patients can participate in various activities or spend quality time with their families. This part of the functional program is designed in the form of pavilions with tiled roofing. The pavilions can be found throughout the property, whether on the ground floor next to the garden or adjacent to corridors on all three floors where the hospital rooms are located. Each pavilion has a tea parlor, a dining area, and a screening room. There are also multifunctional spaces that can be used to host workshops and recreational activities, as well as the House of Plants, where users can cultivate and care for plants or choose their favorite flora to decorate their rooms. The Aroma Therapy room allows visitors to select their favorite scents for their private quarters. Additionally, the meditation room and ceremonial room are part of the common facilities.

The lobby on the ground floor is designed to resemble a pavilion, similar to the other pavilions that are part of the project’s communal spaces. The lobby connects to the hallway that leads to the main garden, welcoming visitors with natural wind, light, the scent of growing trees, fresh grass, and the sounds of fountains in the area. Each segment of the elongated walkway has its own meaning, with molding elements that connect the space to its natural surroundings while also acting as a backdrop for the light and shadow cast on the surfaces at different times of the day.

The garden to the north serves as the heart of the design and is intended to be a vital component in creating the project’s ideal environment. The landscape architecture by Nalaan Studio incorporates plants that provide both visual appeal and shade to different areas of the garden. The new landscape is designed to have minimal impact on the trees and local plants already flourishing in the area. The main garden features several walkways that meander through various regions of the green space, including lounging spots, a family portrait space, a lawn where minor activities or musical performances can be hosted, and a fountain ground. The walkway is constructed as an infinity loop, offering a pleasant route for everyone to enjoy. Small pocket spaces are scattered throughout the garden, allowing users to spend private time together in the natural setting, while the infinity pond produces pleasant sounds as a form of therapy. The farthest part, where the waterside garden is located, is planned as a dining space with a long table and multiple seats for a large family, embraced by a thoughtfully curated landscape with tree canopies and plants providing needed shade.

This is the hospital that strives to provide not just medical services that relieve physical pain, but a holistic treatment that considers the physical and mental well-being of patients, caregivers, and family members. KOON's architecture and interiors are developed to ensure the best possible quality of life for everyone on this journey, transforming the traditional perception of a hospital as a space that simply gives medical treatments into a place that feels like a safe haven. The hope is to help everyone overcome one of the most difficult times of their lives in the most warm and comforting way possible."