Designing For Wellness – How Healthcare Design Can Promote Healing
Aesthetics in healthcare facilities speed up patients´ recovery by reducing their stress levels and promoting healing. In this Tastemaker Conversation and in honor of October Wellness Month, we invited award-winning architect Rafael de la Hoz to join us to share his philosophy, lessons and inspirations in healthcare design.
4 Architectural Typologies Cover our Basic Needs
According to Rafael, we all may visit many different settings in our lifetimes, but we sleep in only four different ones: homes, hotels, hospitals and jails. The first two are by choice and generally associated with joy and beauty. The latter two are by necessity and typically associated with pain and dread. Compounding these negative sentiments, the design of the latter two is driven merely by efficiency. In his talk, Rafael made a powerful case for the benefits of infusing beauty into the design of these non-desirable spaces, without compromising their operational standards.
We Are Transitioning Towards Agora-Like Living Spaces
Thanks to technological advances like wearables, smart-homes and telemedicine, healthcare is moving beyond the bounds of hospital walls and becoming increasingly integrated in our lives. This shift suggests that we’re moving away from the zonification that characterized much of the 20th century (in which facilities were dedicated to distinct functions) to a more integrated use of space — merging different facets of our lives, including professional, personal, social and spiritual.
