Heartfelt Guesthouse

Project Details

Project Description

The vision for the Heartfelt Guesthouse is to create a safe and welcoming home away from home for the families of patients at Sacred Heart Medical Center, RiverBend.

A collaboration between PeaceHealth and Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Heartfelt Guesthouse offers inviting and affordable accommodations for out-of-town families to support loved ones at the hospital. Expected to host approximately 1,500 families per year, the Heartfelt Guesthouse consists of 20 adaptable suites.

The primary goal of the Heartfelt Guesthouse is to create a place of refuge; allowing guests to unwind and relax after spending long days at the hospital. With the main entry facing east addressing the hospital, the building is laid out in a simple manner. Guest-rooms are arranged along with two private wings connected by a central common area and outdoor courtyard to establish a strong sense of community. This living room serves as the beating heart of the building providing communal functions in a grand setting around a warm and inviting hearth. The courtyard scheme was developed to strengthen guests’ connection with nature, maximize daylight and create an outdoor room for respite.

The architects focused on establishing a strong sense of “home” to create a comforting place of meaningful refuge through thoughtful material selection and spatial composition. Elements with a classically residential vocabulary: window seats, dormer windows, and trellises are re-imagined throughout the project with a contemporary twist. Slat walls combined with large expanses of glass and whimsical pendants create a striking interplay of light and shadow; bringing an unexpected playfulness to the spaces.

Funded entirely through charitable giving, the Heartfelt Guesthouse embodies our community’s spirit while providing a home away from home for those in need.