MY PASSION

My passion is Healthcare Design and designing Healthy Buildings.

The interest in Healthcare Design came during my studies, where I graduated in Architecture for people with Dementia. But where did my passion come from?

My grandmother was diagnosed with Dementia, I experienced the whole process of her changing close-by. She was admitted to a care facility, and the degradation went a lot faster. Before the admittal she still walked every day, but after a few weeks in the care facility she couldn't walk by herself anymore. It was a closed facility and some of the residents knew that very well. During one visit I had a bad experience trying to leave and having a resident follow me and trying his very best to "escape". I just kept thinking that this could (and should!) be done better. A care facility shouldn't make people worse and sicker.

The dementia part was very personal for me, still is, and will always be. The underlying idea, which is to listen, even when people cannot, or have trouble to, express themselves. We should be designing buildings for its occupants, all of them. Even when it's harder to understand what they want and need. In these cases, our job as architects becomes so much more important.  

​

The desire for healthy buildings strongly relates to my interest in Healthcare. Healthcare's fundamental mission is "first do no harm". The irony that a building, especially a Healthcare facility can cause Sick Building Syndrome makes creating healthy buildings an important goal. With the aging population there is a need for more and better healthcare facilities in the future. 

Buildings should support human health and well-being. After-all, we spend 70-90% of our time indoors. Creating healthy buildings means looking into design as well as indoor climate. 

​

​