Introduction The ambience or ethos of institutions, such as residential care facilities, provides a complex interplay between the physical and social environments. For example, the aim of ensuring that an institution is not only a place of medical care but also a home for the residents can appear incongruent and results in 'a dynamic layering and interweaving of social relations and space', as described by Dyck (2002, p55S). The present article explores the manner in which the ambience of two New Zealand facilities was viewed by those who worked in them and the degree to which these social environments were purposely created. An earlier analysis of the two residential homes revealed that a clear distinction was made by the residents in relation to the ethos of the facility, one being like a hotel and the other more like a home, although both were equally enjoyable (Fitzgerald and Robertson 2006). The current project clarifies how the residents' perceptions of the two homes were also apparent to the staff.
