Student designers challenged to rethink long-term care

How do architectural students envision design that supports person-centered care in a long-term care setting? Kaye Brown invites you to take a look.

The Duke University and Boston University anthropology professor is a dedicated advocate for person-centered care. And as a director at the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE), she’s tuned in to the latest advancements in senior living design. “I am quite passionate about reaching out to the design schools and supporting their efforts to steer students into our industry,” says Brown.

Click here to see the best designs submitted this year in the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)/SAGE student design competition, titled “Rebuilding HOME.” This year’s project featured a replacement skilled nursing home in a central Florida urban redevelopment zone.

“Through our annual design competitions, we are bringing recognition and significant prize money [$7,500 awarded/year] to many talented design teams from the best architectural schools in the country and abroad,” says Brown. “Our goal each year is to create a senior-living design competition for design schools that is suitable for adoption as a studio project and that students will find interesting, educational, and challenging. By introducing new concepts of healthcare for seniors, these competitions help support a growing dialogue between the healthcare industry and architects-in-training that will benefit both for years to come.”

Organizers are preparing competition materials for AIAS/SAGE 2012. They are also offering corporate sponsorship opportunities. Donors receive public recognition in all printed and presentation materials and all donations are tax-deductible.

For details on supporting the 2012 AIAS/SAGE Student Design Competition, contact SAGE Directors Kaye Brown (kaye.brown@duke.edu), Jack Bowersox (bowersoxj1@gmail.com), or Skip Gregory (gregoryskip@gmail.com).

Patricia Sheehan

Patricia Sheehan was Editor in Chief of I Advance Senior Care / Long Term Living from 2010-2013. She is now manager, communications at Nestlé USA.