At first glance, you wouldn’t think Dr. Tara Kaur would need my services. Her office was lovely, uncluttered, and expressed a message of excellence. Her space wasn’t large, yet there was a feeling of expansiveness. She had judiciously added a round wall, curved reception desk...
An important part of creating an Integrative Space™ in a healthcare or senior care facility is to imprint the specific intentions or mission for that facility. Whether it’s an intention of “creating home,” or “safety,” or “efficiency” or “leading edge,” decisions on color, movement, style...
The word “integrative” is being used extensively in healthcare these days. Integrative medicine. Integrative treatment approach. Integrative care. In my work, I use the term Integrative Space.™ As the word would imply, “integrative” means a combination of several components to create one unified system. However, the word “integrative” actually...
As an Integrative Space (IS) specialist, let me tell you what I am NOT. I am not an interior designer. I am not an architect. I am not a space planner. I am not a developer. I work WITH the individuals in these respective fields to complement their...
Recently I took part in a webinar given by Alessandro Gattaro, a professor at the University of Parma, Italy, entitled “Empathy and Architecture,” in which he stressed that the connections between the mind and the physical setting are more fundamental than was ever initially believed. Using...
An Integrative Space™ implies a balance between function, beauty and inspiration. Whether the space is residential, commercial or healthcare, the experience of the occupants/patients must be considered in order to determine the success of the space. Alain De Botton, author of “The Architecture of Happiness,” states: Belief...
Independent/assisted living facilities face increased competition in terms of costs, quality, efficiency, and innovation. Resident satisfaction and employee retention are crucial factors in creating and maintaining a successful senior living facility. For these reasons, it’s more important than ever to distinguish your organization as a leading-edge senior living provider. One way to...
Enabling someone to feel in control of the environment, particularly an environment that is already unfamiliar to them, provides the visitor with a sense of accomplishment and capability, rather than feeling lost and confused. This is one of the goals of Feng Shui is to assure that anyone...
Scientific research proves that the environment in which people work and live affects the mind, which in turn affects behavior, which in turn defines a person’s experience in that space. Depending on the outcome of that experience, it can influence a person’s quality of life...
An important part of my Integrative Space ™analysis of a medical facility, clinic or senior living complex is to discover where the staff can hang out. This is the place where employees can eat their lunch, have some coffee, hang up their coats, store their...
Living facilities that are constructed for people who are challenged or compromised in some way----by an illness, disability, surgery or aging----strive to assure that the occupants feel safe and empowered. This is particularly true for residents in an independent living facility who are still mobile...
Integrative space supports healing on more than the physical level, but also on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels as well. Creating a room with the focus of helping a patient feel safe and comfortable, like they might if they were home, is the aim...