Big, institutional hospitals tend to look and feel like big, institutional spaces. But there’s a lot more to healthcare design than meeting the terms of an RFP. How can designers imbue places of healing with a sense of warmth, tranquility and even wellness? And what stands in the way?

On April 28 at 12 pm EST, AZURE will host a free online talk exploring the future of healthcare design. Titled Hospital(ity): New Directions in Healthcare Design, the conversation will explore the links between space and wellbeing, delving into how architects can help nurture comfort and intimacy in healthcare settings.

Taking place as part of the Architect@Work Canada Digital Summit, this AZURE Talks panel discussion will bring together three leading practitioners working at the intersection of architecture and healthcare; Siamak Hariri, Diana Anderson and Chris McQuillan.

Siamak Hariri is a founding Partner of Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects, and a renowned Canadian practitioner whose work spans from cultural landmarks to commercial offices and private residences. He is also the designer of gracefully humanistic healthcare spaces, including Toronto’s Casey House HIV/AIDS hospital — a 2018 AZ Awards winner (pictured above) — and the recently completed Princess Margaret Cancer Care Space Transformation, as well as the Barlo MS Centre now under construction at Toronto’s St Michael’s Hospital.

Diana Anderson is a both a licensed architect and a licensed Internist and board-certified physician. As a “dochitect,” Dr. Anderson combines educational and professional experience in both medicine and architecture, in order to fully understand what is involved in medical planning and working within the healthcare environment. Dr. Anderson has worked on hospital design projects within the United States, Canada and Australia, specializing in medical planning of inpatient units, specifically intensive care unit environments.

Chris McQuillan is a Principal with Toronto’s B+H Architects, and a strong proponent for carefully planned healthcare facilities that foreground well-being through their design. An architect with over 20 years of experience in healthcare design, Chris joined B+H Architects in 2012 and has since led his teams to deliver a range of transformative healthcare solutions, including a distinctly people-centric reinvention of Ontario’s Milton District Hospital. 

This AZURE Talk qualifies for one ConEd structured learning hour.