Martin House Children’s Hospice
Martin House Children’s Hospice provides specialist, family-led care and support, free of charge, to children and young people with life-shortening conditions across West, North and East Yorkshire. Established in the 1980's and opened in Boston Spa in 1987, Martin House was the UK’s second children’s hospice.
Today, Martin House supports more than 550 families each year, offering planned respite, emergency and end-of-life care, symptom management, community support and bereavement services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Care is provided both at the hospice and in families’ homes, helping families make the most of their time together.
The challenge
Having worked with Martin House across a range of projects, we were delighted to be approached to develop a new parking and wayfinding signage scheme for their complex in Wetherby, as part of “THE BUILD”, a major £21.9m redevelopment project at the hospice.
With the completion of “THE BUILD”, Martin House is officially opening the doors to its new-look building, marking an important new chapter for the hospice and the families it supports.
The brief was to create a signage system that was clear, intuitive and easy to navigate, while complementing the existing Martin House signage and environment. With families, visitors, staff and deliveries all using the site, the signage needed to provide straightforward guidance at key decision points, helping people reach their destination with ease.
Alongside functionality, durability was a key consideration. The signage needed to withstand the demands of a busy outdoor environment while remaining clear, consistent and visually strong over time.
The Solution
We began with a detailed site survey, assessing the existing signage and environment to help inform the design and specification. We carefully selected materials to closely match the existing signage, ensuring the new elements would feel cohesive with the wider Martin House environment.
We specified acrylic lettering mounted onto Grade 316 stainless steel, selected for its strength, longevity and suitability for external applications. Working with our Sheffield-based fabricator, we sourced premium-grade stainless steel and produced the acrylic lettering in-house. Each element was carefully positioned and fixed using bespoke stencils to ensure consistency, accuracy and a high-quality finish throughout.
Alongside the main wayfinding signage, we also produced parking signs, internal wall graphics and a range of additional signage across the site. We sourced all posts, fixtures and fittings and coordinated the complete installation, ensuring every element was carefully fitted and finished to the same high standard.
The entire installation was completed in a single day, minimising disruption to the site, its visitors and staff while ensuring the new signage was ready for the opening of the redeveloped hospice.
The result is a distinctive, purpose-built signage system that complements the Martin House environment while providing clear and effective wayfinding. By designing and manufacturing each element specifically for the project, rather than relying on off-the-shelf solutions, we were able to deliver a finish that feels considered, cohesive and built to last.