Lessons in Adaptivity

As much as the COVID-19 Pandemic has upended nearly every industry none has seen the effects more acutely than healthcare. The news is a constant reminder of overflowing Emergency Rooms and ICU beds and burnt-out nursing staff. Healthcare designers are at the forefront of how to adapt medical spaces to the increased demands of the pandemic and are tasked with looking into the crystal ball and trying to determine what the future of medical spaces will hold. What lessons can residential designers take from the outcome of the crucible that COVID-19 has created for healthcare designers?

In a survey conducted by Healthcare Design the number one major goal of healthcare organizations moving forward will be to design spaces that are flexible and adaptable in the future. Through the course of the pandemic medical centers have seen spaces from hallways to waiting rooms become treatment areas and these needs have sometimes changed on a weekly or even daily basis. This same situation has been true in residential spaces. Families that were once used to being home together only for a few hours in the evening have found their living spaces turned into offices, schools, playgrounds and restaurants sometimes all at the same time. While the short-term has seen closets turned into home offices and kitchen islands used for school rooms, the future of design will need to examine how open concepts can be sub-divided into multi-purpose spaces and additional square footage considered to add utility beyond typical family functions.

As the line between residential and commercial spaces begins to blur, residential designers can take another lesson from healthcare design in sound attenuation. Healthcare designers are constantly aware of sound transmission as they are tasked with meeting the regulations of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This regulation requires stringent protections to avoid the purposeful or accidental transmission of personal information between clients. In residential design it is common to physically separate social and private areas of the home, but this geographic grouping may not be sufficient when guest bedrooms in the private wing of the home become offices and great rooms become schools. Future home design will require increased technical acoustic solutions to allow for peaceful cohabitation between family members using the home for multiple uses.

As the pandemic began in the winter of 2020 and it was unclear exactly how the virus spread, many individuals undertook elaborate rituals of decontamination for their mail and groceries in an attempt to keep the virus out of their house should it be carried by surfaces. As we have learned more about the transmission of the virus, surfaces have become less of a focus but the concept of maintaining a home as germ-free as possible remains. Healthcare furniture has long been designed in a way that allows for durable surfaces that can be sanitized repeatedly without damage. While fabrics such as Crypton are familiar to most designers, medical grade furniture design goes beyond just fabric type and includes design features such as fully accessibly clean outs between the chair seat and back and completely replaceable elements. These features allow not just for cleanability but also for longevity and sustainability as small updates can allow for pieces to serve their purpose for many years without needing to be completely replaced. Applying these attributes to residential furniture allows homeowners the ability to clean and maintain their furniture as well as adapt to changing tastes and lifestyles.

While we don’t have the crystal ball to see exactly what the future will bring and how that will affect our industry, we have access to the expertise and innovation from the frontline to guide and inform our processes. We can move forward with both the knowledge necessary to prepare responsibly for whatever the next challenge may be along with the hope that we may once again freely design and share spaces with friends and strangers.

CHRISTINA DICKINSON, ASID Communications Director

New Industry Partners

Arizona Rug & Flooring

Ed Momeni (480) 797-0000 ed@arizonarug.com www.arizonarug.com

Rugs/Flooring

Local

Caesarstone

Caitlin Dicks (602) 739-6538 caitlin.dicks@caesarstoneus.com www.caesarstoneus.com

Quartz/Stone

National

Delta Faucet Company

Rachel Trimble (480) 206-8272 rachel@bobiersales.com www.deltafaucet.com

Plumbing/Fixtures

National

Farrow & Ball

Jules Medina

(949) 244-8048 jules.medina@farrow-ball.com www.farrow-ball.com

Paint/Wallpaper

National

Janet Priset Sandino

Fine Art Consulting

Janet Sandino (602) 680-6090 janetpsandino@gmail.com

Fine Art Consultant

Local

Linkasink

Kirk Guthrie (602) 971-2502 susann@linkasink.com www.linkasink.com

Plumbing/Fixtures

Local

DIRECTORY at asid.org

Lixil Water Technologies America

Debra Bailly

(253) 329-6251 debra.bailly@lixil.com www.lixil.com

Plumbing/Fixtures

Local

LMC Home Entertainment Ltd

Michael Ware (602) 478-9797 mike@lmche.com www.lmche.com

Audio/Video Home Entertainment

Regional

Mandy Marie Creative

Amanda Dorr (602) 363-8589 events@mandymariecreative.com www.mandymariecreative.com

Event Planner

Local

The Stone Collection

Lauri Howell (480) 258-9746 lauri@thestonecollection.com www.thestonecollection.com

Marble/Granite/Stone

Local

Trade Findry

Debora English (602) 432-9202 deb.english@tradefindry.com

Designer Industry Digital App

Local

NEW MEMBERS

• Jenna McMillen, ASID

• Dee Dee Ackerman, Allied ASID

• Gina Anthony, Allied ASID

• Natasha Ashar, Allied ASID

• Karin Donley, Allied ASID

• Kelly Dunlop, Allied ASID

• IIyse Kusch, Allied ASID

• Shawn McMorris, Allied ASID

• Gillian Haley, Associate ASID

• Lisa Nicodemus, Associate ASID

• Kaitlyn Wolfe, Associate ASID

• Roxanna Chavez-Catchings, Student ASID

• August Cosgrove, Student ASID

• Jena Fernandez, Student ASID

• Jacquelyn Guthrie, Student ASID

• Jazmin Hernandez Padilla, Student ASID

• Elzbieta Janowska, Student ASID

• Kayla Kelley, Student ASID

• Emilie Lesser, Student ASID

• Jersey Lombardi, Student ASID

• Brianna McNutt, Student ASID

• Jenna Mills, Student ASID

• Noelle Peay, Student ASID

• Joyce Sanchez Torres, Student ASID

• Courtney Schofield, Student ASID

• Madison Seibert, Student ASID

• Jessica Wulff, Student ASID

2021 STUDENT ADVANCEMENTS

(Eff. Sept - December ’21)

Alessandra Louise Colafranceschi, Allied ASID

Karin M. Donley, Allied ASID

Fayrooz A. Sweis, Allied ASID

2021 ALLIED ADVANCEMENTS

Sheri Mleynek Gilmore, ASID

To find out exactly what MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS include go to our website: www.azn.asid.org

Students/Emerging Professionals Kickoff Event

On October 7, 2021, 19 members came together for our Students and Emerging Professionals Kick-off event at Greenwood Brewing in downtown Phoenix. After many months of remote learning, working and socializing, this was a fun evening for our new and potential student members to mingle with our emerging professionals, seasoned designers and industry professionals in a relaxed and safe atmosphere. Monterrey Tile provided a brief presentation of their new products and had a product table set up for members to look at and ask questions. There were even a couple of raffle prizes given away. This was a fun event to kick off our 2021/2022 year and it allowed our members a much needed opportunity to network with each other, catch up with conversations and connect with friends old and new. Many thanks to those that attended, Monterrey Tile and Greenwood Brewing for providing such a great space for us to gather.

TERI SMITHERS, ASID Director, Professional Development