From Spatial Design to Embodied Care

Sara McCunnie Director | The Village Architect
Dr Wei-An Chen Architectural Researcher  | AUT

Join us this August for an insightful forum featuring expert perspectives on how two very different patient types experience healthcare through infrastructure design.

Sara McCunnie from The Village Architect will present on current PhD research investigating how the arrangement and quantity of space in dementia Special Care Units relates to falls and distressed behaviour across facilities in New Zealand and Australia — with the aim of producing design guidance architects can use early in the design process.

Dr Wei-An Chen  will also share key findings on how Healthcare environments are not experienced as isolated rooms, but as unfolding sequences of sensory and affective transitions—from arrival and orientation to waiting, consultation, treatment and recovery.

The NZ Health Design Council hosts free monthly forums that bring together people from health, design, and community sectors to share ideas, real-world examples, and practical ways to improve health through better design. Each session includes a speaker, open discussion, and Q&A.

Become a free member to join—members receive the virtual meeting link by email one week before each forum, with a reminder the day before.