Barriers by Design in Care Environments

Barriers by Design in Care Environments

This webinar is part of the RAIC 2024 Conference on Architecture, now available to stream!

Topics: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

Length: 1 hour | What's Included: Video, Quiz, and Certificate of Completion 

2021 Census data shows that 19% of the Canadian population is 65+ years, with a rise of 12% in the number of Canadians aged 85+. These demographics, coupled with longer life expectancy and chronic conditions like dementia, demand creative and innovative environmental solutions, making it critical for architects to reevaluate current design approaches to care environments.

Market demands and financial pressures often result in design strategies that seek design and operational expediency but tend to undermine the diversity of needs, preferences, and rights of the individuals. This issue reflects an estrangement between the architect and the environmental experience of users and can potentially and inadvertently result in spatial and physical segregation that offer unequal opportunities of spatial experience. This session will explore adoption of an informed, empathetic,   inclusive, and collaborative approach to design to enable a   person-environmental fit that promotes adoption of space and place-making.

By the completion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Reevaluate current design strategies that contribute to the spatial and social construction of the stigma associated with care environments and its users.
• Identify specific design practices which essentialize, homogenize, and abstract the user of these environments.
• Describe the different tensions arising from individual needs of the different user groups of these environments.
• Identify specific design strategies that can enable a more inclusive and empathetic design practice.

Subject Matter Expert:

Dr. Claudio Salgado
BSc  Arch; BArch; Masters Dementia Studies, PhD. OAA, MRAIC, LEED AP
Architect, University of Stirling & Brooklyn Construction Ltd.

For over 20 years, Dr. Claudia Salgado has provided leadership to design and construction teams that focus on developing premium residential and senior living projects across Canada, North America, and the UK. She holds the following degrees: a Bachelor of Architecture and a Postgraduate degree in Design from Lawrence Institute of Technology; a Masters Degree in Dementia Studies from The University of Stirling in Scotland, where she also completed a PhD on the relationship of architecture and dementia care environments. She has received prestigious awards, such as being named Minuoro Yamasaki Scholar and appointed to the Lambda Iota Tau Honour Society. As a Licensed Architect, she is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects; a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada; a LEED Accredited Professional; a Tutor for the Dementia, Place and Space module in the Social Sciences Faculty at The University of Stirling; and a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Age Friendly Housing Options Task Force.

Wendy Brawley
BArch, OAA, MRAIC, Assoc. AIA, Member, Ontario Long-term Association Member, AdvantAge Ontario (AAO), LEED AP
Architect, Hobin Architecture Incorporated

Wendy Brawley, OAA, MRAIC, B.Arch. (Carleton University) is a partner with Hobin Architecture and an active member of the RAIC Seniors Task Force. Since joining the firm in 1989, Wendy has focused her efforts on supportive housing projects such as long-term care and special care for dementia and Alzheimer's. Her body of work has since broadened to include retirement homes, however her attitude remains the same: viewing architecture as a tool to provide independence within the living environment. She prioritizes design decisions that support both the physical and psychological needs of seniors, while responding to the facility’s program and day-to-day operational requirements. Wendy also works hard to stay abreast of industry changes brought on by world events such as the pandemic, global warming and political unrest, always seeking ways to turn a challenge into a benefit. Wendy is well known for her ability to establish consensus when confronted with multiple stakeholders having competing interests and passionate hearts.