There’s really nothing like a conference to make you feel like you’ve jumped into the deep end of your chosen profession. Hopefully, once you’re there, you realize that the water’s fine, and you’re able to learn a ton; meet a bunch of smart, like-minded people; and walk away with a renewed sense of passion and excitement for your work.
“A game changer!” declares Percy E. Roberts III, president and chief operating officer of VOA Associates. Roberts wasn’t the only juror for the HEALTHCARE DESIGN Architectural and Interior Design Showcase competition to be wowed by the Miami Valley Hospital project submitted by NBBJ’s Columbus, Ohio, office.
You won’t get many arguments against the idea that a healthy staff makes for both healthier patients and a healthier bottom line. And today’s healthcare providers are working harder to stack the deck in favor of employee wellness. A robust 84% of medical facilities in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut reported some sort of wellness program or activity in place for its workers, according to a recent survey by Cammack LaRhette Consulting, a New York-based benefits consulting firm. Within the next 12 months, 5% more intend to establish such a plan.
I love talking to design students. In covering the design field over the past several years, I’ve had the chance to mingle with a number of smart, wildly creative types who couldn’t wait to get their hands on commercial environments and make them fabulous. They weren’t yet jaded by budget constraints, reality checks, and bottom-liners with no imagination.
What makes the design of a healthcare facility different from other buildings? For the past six years, I’ve been something of a student of commercial design. It started with the retail sector: As executive editor and associate publisher of VMSD magazine, which stands for visual merchandising and store design, I was introduced to passionate, creative designers and architects within the world of cashwraps, sightlines, and window displays.
