MARY Stevens Hospice won two prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects West Midlands awards  at a ceremony in Birmingham last night (April 30).

The £1 million inpatient unit at the hospice base in Hagley Road  was one of nine projects shortlisted for the award, which recognise the best new architecture in the region.

The Oldswinford organisation was announced as winners after facing stiff opposition from the Old Market Shopping Centre in Hereford, Middleport Pottery in Stoke on Trent and the Old Library in Leamington Spa.

Staff at the hospice also walked away from the ceremonry with the Small Project of the Year award.

Stevan Jackson, chief executive officer of Mary Stevens Hospice, said: “We all at Mary Stevens Hospice are absolutely delighted to have won a prestigious RIBA award for this contemporary new building, which allows the hospice to serve the supportive local community even more effectively.

“It is our aim now to increase capacity to care for more patients and families in the whole Dudley borough, and across the Black Country, and we will continue to rely on the support of our generous fundraisers and donors as we plan this next phase of the hospice’s development.”

The hospice was nominated for its revamped ten-bed inpatient unit, a partnership project with KKE Architects in Worcester, which was completed in December 2014 thanks to a half-a-million pound Department of Health grant to improve facilities.

All existing bedrooms were refurbished and the wards converted into single bedrooms with en-suites to provide privacy and better patient dignity.

A peace room and a new entrance were also created and a first floor was added to provide offices for the Macmillan Cancer Support Team.