Member Spotlight

Lilliana Alvarado, CHID, EDAC, IIDA, NCIDQ, LEED AP, Founder and Design Principal of UPHEALING

Briefly describe your current role.  

I am the Founder and Design Principal at UPHEALING, a full-service interior design firm focusing on wellbeing.

How did you get started in the industry?

During my teens, before I even had some family members who were navigating illness, I would go with them to appointments, and visit them in less-than-ideal hospitals of the time. I remember the feeling of being there; seeing the fear in their eyes, the long waiting periods, and the smells. I had a sense of how these spaces affected my family members and I, and that there was room for improvement so to speak. I went on to pursue interior design without knowing that healthcare interior design existed. My first job at a design firm in Boston focused on healthcare and it all made sense to me.

Is there something you know now, that you wish you knew when you began your career?

I wish I knew more about setting healthy boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and that saying “no” occasionally was an acceptable and necessary answer. I need to be in a good place physically, mentally, and emotionally so I can help others through my work.

Are you involved in any volunteer efforts (e.g. your jury experience or anything else)?

I currently volunteer as Co-Chair for IIDA NY Healthcare Forum, Co-Chair of the AAHID Outreach Committee, Co-Chair for The Currier Collective at The Currier Museum of Art in NH, Ambassador for Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business, and have been on over 20 jury panels including the Healthcare Environment Awards and Touchstone Awards for The Center for Health Design.

What have you liked most about being part of The Center for Health Design community?

I enjoy being part of a group of people who share similar passions about helping others. Together we share a great resource of knowledge and experiences, which we bring back into our work. I feel that being part of The Center for Health Design community enables me to create positive changes in healthcare design.

What is your CHD “go-to” resource?

The Center for Health Design has an incredible Knowledge Repository that I constantly use as my go-to as it provides invaluable insights, new research, and evidence-based design practices.

Is there someone who has inspired your work?

It’s hard to name just one person who has inspired my work because it is a collection of interactions with different people. Like many designers, I have multiple interests which find their way into my work. My college professors Francisco and Flora were my mentors and taught me a lot of what I know today. Frida Kahlo has inspired me to tell stories through art despite having setbacks, Suzanne Tick inspires me to take a breath and not forget about how important textures are for us, Cheryl Durst inspires me to be an advocate for well-thought design, and my husband Mo inspires me to push boundaries and believe in myself.

What is one of your greatest professional accomplishments?

My greatest professional accomplishment has been starting my firm.

What is your favorite way to de-stress?

Ah… for me, it’s all about spa treatments! Massages, facials, aromatherapy, and body scrubs are how I love to decompress.

Tell us something that others may not know about you.

In addition to being a designer, I was a personal care assistant for a few years to an extraordinary woman who had ALS until the day she passed. I miss her still.

Thanks again Lilliana and Happy Holidays to all!

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