Hjältarnas Hus (House of Heroes) is a new facility by White Arkitekter functioning as a temporary home for families with young children suffering from long term illness. The project is a collaboration between the Sweden Västerbotten healthcare council and the organization “Hjältarnas hus”, which will run the day-to-day operations of this new facility. The firm has been involved from start to finish in creating this safe and homely haven, free from white coats and difficult treatments. 

Five out of six geographically large hospital region of northern Swede have already had relative homes linked to the larger children's clinics. Now the final region, Norrland, will get their own equivalent located in Umeå. 

This home away from home is located in a newly renovated building in the hospital park. The facility is connected to another building by a two-story glass atrium, which creates an indoor courtyard. The old building holds conference rooms and offices for staff, while the new building has small apartments or hotel-like suits with cooking facilities and rooms for various activities. 

The main focus with this project was to create a playful environment where the young patients and their families can focus on healing. The recreational facilities with the surrounding park, complete with a duck pond and a playground, also offers a way to make the hospital stay somewhat brighter.