Insights & Solutions

Martins, B. A., Barrie, H., Visvanathan, R., Daniel, L., Martins, L. A., Ranasinghe, D., Wilson, A., & Soebarto, V. (2020). A multidisciplinary exploratory approach for investigating the experience of older adults attending hospital services. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, in press.

Giving older adults and others with functional limitations a place to temporarily land while ambulating is the least we an do to promote their functional health in hospitals.

Lorusso, L., Park, N.-K., Bosch, S., Freytes, I. M., Shorr, R., Conroy, M., & Ahrentzen, S. (2020). Sensory environments for behavioral health in Dementia: Diffusion of an environmental innovation at the Veterans Health Administration. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, in press.

Not all MSE stimulus or equipment is created equal and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

Join us for this virtual interactive, collaborative, problem-solving workshop intended to enable project stakeholders (designers, facility executives, administrators, care providers) to employ physical design strategies and methodologies that support improved care for children. Representatives from internationally acclaimed children’s hospitals will share insights into the latest developments and future direction for pediatric care. The esteemed faculty will present pediatric evidence-based design studies and best practices that integrate architecture, design and technology with innovative medical practice to create high-quality, high-tech care in a safe and enriching environment. Attendees will also share questions and ideas with the owners and faculty through interactive panel discussion.

Jenny Hastings, Principal at Boulder Associates Architects answers the question, “How has the pandemic affected Lean Management Practices in your firm?” Jenny begins, “We have projects that are speeding up, some that are slowing down.

The challenges created by today’s growing mental health and substance abuse crises, especially in light of the recent pandemic, reach far beyond the behavioral health unit into emergency departments, outpatient clinics and throughout acute and ambulatory care settings.

To support improved care and enhance staff safety, today’s design, facility and care professionals have to advance their understanding of the environment’s impact on behavioral health care and learn how to incorporate the best and latest design solutions throughout all healthcare setting.

In this workshop, expert faculty will share current physical, mental and societal challenges posed when individuals age, discuss programming and design interventions that can assist people (and their care givers) with those challenges, and present case studies and examples that integrate architecture, design and technology into healthy, safe living environments. 

Albala, L., Bober, T., Hale, G., Warfield, B., Collins, M. L., Merritt, Z., Steimetz, E., Nadler, S., Lev, Y., & Hanifin, J. (2019). Effect on nurse and patient experience: Overnight use of blue-depleted illumination. BMJ Open Quality, 8(3), e000692.

Working at night shouldn't mean being kept in the dark. While blue-wavelength light is bad for patient sleep, no light is bad for everyone.

Devlin, A. S., Anderson, A., Hession-Kunz, S., Kelly, M., Noble, L., & Zou, A. (2020). Magnitude matters: Art image size and waiting time impact perceived quality of care. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 13(3), 140–153.

This study shows evidence that when it comes to art, size matters. Larger art that covers at least 60% of the visible wall space appears to make the exam room more pleasant, perhaps improving the overall perception of care.

In this podcast, Alana M. Carter responds to the question, "how have you and your team responded to the pandemic and what’s happening now within your firm?” She shares, “It’s interesting as leaders.