May 24, 2018

News and Highlights

Dear Members,

This month we interviewed Diana Spellman of Spellman Brady & Company. She is a long-time member and supporter of The Center's work. Her personal journey of health and healing and how that has impacted her view of the built environment is inspirational. 

Member Spotlight

Describe your current role.

I am President of Spellman Brady & Company. My role consists of nurturing relationships between our team members, clients and partners in business. In addition, I guide our artwork team, working with hospitals to create artwork masterplans and work directly with the artists to create commissioned pieces for various healthcare systems.

What led you to become a member?

My philosophy with healthcare interior design goes as far back as my childhood. In the 1960s growing up the daughter of a physician and attending hospital rounds with him was actually quite influential. I distinctly remember sitting in the waiting area of the ER staring at the turquoise tiled walls, shiny hard floor and listening to the buzzing of the fluorescent lighting while my father treated a patient. Those spaces left an indelible imprint on my mind and I knew wanted to be an Interior Designer. What I did not know is how much I love working within the healthcare world, and how my background and personal experiences would weigh in to provide insight for the design work.

There is no doubt in my mind that all components of evidence-based design go hand in hand with an individual's ability to heal and find comfort. I am a two-time cancer survivor. The experiences I've had over the past 10 years were truly a gift of understanding the principles associated with the mind, body and spiritual connection with the built environment.

When I decided our firm should join CHD, it was for the relationships with other professionals in our industry and the repository of information. No professional can grow without learning as much as possible from other points of view. With that being said, it is my desire to utilize my experiences and curiosity to contribute and work with the CHD team.

What have you liked most about being part of the CHD community?

Putting a name to a face while engaging with my peers and their viewpoints has been very rewarding. Knowing these individuals are sharing information makes it easier to connect, to gain information and have a dialogue about design. In addition, connecting with the thought leaders at the HCD Conference, especially at the VIP reception, makes it all the more beneficial to the members. Connections and conversations are what I love about the organization.

What is your CHD go-to resource?

The Insights and Solutions section has been utilized for understanding design challenges and the solutions to a particular dilemma. The Design Strategies, Issue Briefs, Project Briefs and Webinars are reviewed regularly. Our designers regularly gather for a lunch and learn over webinars and I enjoy the research section, as I have theories that I would like to test.

Is there someone who has inspired your work?

Two names come to mind.

My husband and partner in business, Stan Spellman has been my mentor in design. He is an Interior Architect and we met while working together at HLM in 1981. It is his brilliant knowledge of all elements for the interior built environment that guided our firm and me through the years.

I have always been inspired by the elements of nature - observing color, texture and composition and how the color of natural and artificial lighting affect the interior environment. My belief is spaces should have an indoor-outdoor relationship and design elements contribute greatly to the emotional response. Roger Ulrich, PhD, has spoken so eloquently on the topic giving added affirmation to something I believe in my heart thus he has been an inspiration.

Ulrich has done extensive research in the field of nature and well-being for the patient. His landmark study, "View through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery" that was published in the journal Science in 1984 has been influential to me.

What is one of your greatest achievements?

Staying surrounded by my faith, family and friends. It is so important to me to hold tight to family traditions, such as dinner together at 6:30 when our kids were growing up. Birthdays, our annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt, family vacations (many road trips) to create memories are my legacy. To enjoy what I do professionally with the people I love, especially my husband of 34 years, is the icing on the cake. And to say I still communicate and send Christmas cards to coworkers and clients who have become friends over the years says something.

What trends do you see emerging in healthcare design?

The growing population of active adults 50 + has created a greater need for facility resources that bridge the gap between Acute and Post-Acute. In general, I believe that interior design solutions are going to need to be more mindful than ever before for a timeless, maintainable and sustainable interior. Everyone has to do more with less.

Thank you for sharing your experiences Diana and thank you for the work you do to improve health and healing through better design. 

As always if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. 

Sincerely,

Lynn Kenney, EDAC, SASHE
Director of Industry Relations
The Center for Health Design
lkenney@healthdesign.org

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