# Timber Courtyard Care Centres Maggie's Centre Kent by Assemble Forms a Garden-Focused Building By Amy Duong | Published 2026-03-10 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/maggies-centre-2 References: [maggies.org](http://maggies.org/)  The Maggie's Centre Kent by Assemble is a cancer support facility designed for a hospital campus in Maidstone, England. The Maggie's Centre Kent by Assemble is organized as a series of [low timber volumes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/koffler-scientific-reserve) arranged around planted courtyards that bring daylight and garden views into the building. The structure uses exposed timber framing, deep roof overhangs, and glazed openings to create a calm environment that contrasts with the clinical atmosphere of nearby medical facilities. The design follows the charity’s architectural brief, which prioritizes domestic-scale spaces where visitors can gather around a central kitchen table while also finding private areas for quiet conversation or reflection. Interior rooms open toward [landscaped gardens](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carcavelos-health-complex) that extend the support spaces outdoors and provide changing seasonal views. [Maggie’s centres](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/maggies-architecture-that-cares) are developed as welcoming buildings separate from hospitals, offering free psychological and practical support for people living with cancer as well as their families and caregivers. Image Credit: Assemble, Nora Walter Images ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.5/10 - Popularity: 50% | Activity: 48% | Freshness: 66% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Therapeutic Courtyard Architecture:** Integration of planted courtyards for daylight and seasonal views creates new models for patient-centered environments that challenge conventional hospital layouts. - **Exposed Timber Structural Design:** Use of exposed timber framing and deep overhangs introduces sustainable structural systems that could redefine materials sourcing and construction workflows in institutional buildings. - **Domestic-scale Healthcare Spaces:** Emphasis on domestic-scale gathering spaces alongside private rooms supports social-support-centered care models that diverge from strictly clinical protocols. ### Where This Applies - **Healthcare Facility Design:** Design practices focused on cancer support centers are shifting toward standalone, garden-linked buildings that alter programmatic relationships between hospitals and community services. - **Prefabricated Timber Manufacturing:** Growth in timber-framed healthcare projects stimulates demand for engineered-wood components and integrated prefabrication systems tailored to regulated care environments. - **Landscape Architecture for Healing:** Garden-centered courtyards functioning as therapeutic extensions of interiors point to novel partnerships between horticulture and clinical well-being metrics. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Studio Multitool Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-stria.md) - [Sportstyle Runner Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yoasobi-x-asics-gelkinetic-fluent-y.md) - [Hybrid Chair Lamps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artchitecture.md) - [Millennium Concrete Houses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heirloom-house.md) - [Technical Shell Jackets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blaze-beta.md) - [Minimalist Canvas Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/va-tokyo-x-fragment-design.md) - [Nail Positioning Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nailmate.md) - [Spray Actuator Range Launches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snap-luna-matteo-actuators.md) - [Sculptural Concrete Nightlights](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yawn.md)