Rant and Roar with the Dying of the Light

Abstract

This thesis proposes the design of a residential hospice facility in the resettled outport community of Little Bay Islands, Newfoundland, that honors the island’s cultural heritage and addresses the need for compassionate end-of-life care in remote communities. By subtly criticizing resettlement policies, this project suggests that, despite economic hardship, isolated communities hold inherent value in their lived traditions. The design culminates in a facility that supports terminally ill people through their final lived experiences, while providing emotional support and a sense of community to their loved ones. Informed by literature on hospice care philosophy, contemporary hospice design, phenomenology, and Newfoundland ethnography, this proposal will explore how architectural interventions can transform a neglected landscape into a place of dignity and reconnection. Ultimately, this project symbolizes perpetual arrival and farewell to a place that is at risk of being forgotten, rewriting its narrative as a place of care, remembrance, and continuity.