The power of unique pairings

Presented by
Tom Trenolone, Design director and principal, HDR Architecture, Inc.

The healthcare industry and the subjects of art/art history were integral to Tom Trenolone’s upbringing. As the son of a hospital administrator and an art teacher, the idea of unique pairings have ignited his curiosity and influenced his education, first in advertising and marketing and then in architecture. In this keynote presentation, Tom will draw on his passion for architecture and design advocacy to share stories about the power of unique pairings, including a year-long research project that investigated the shared creative elements of haute couture, the automotive industry and the U.S. military. He will also take the audience on an insightful journey through four recent healthcare projects in which his teams were able to identify opportunities to create unique pairings that improve outcomes and deliver better care for its communities.

“The Park” tells the story of bringing the park back into the Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas; “Focus” centres on the Focal Point Community Campus on the southwest side of Chicago and the idea that a medical centre can be more to the urban community than simply a hospital; “Main Street” inversely looks at how the role of the critical access hospital as population anchor could save rural communities. The presentation will conclude with “Ability,” the story behind the ground-breaking Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the first “translational” research hospital in which clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists work together 24/7 in shared, flexible spaces, surrounding patients, discovering new approaches and applying research in real time.

Humanizing healthcare: the creative power of design

Presented by
Rama Gheerawo, Director, The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design

Do you ever think about how you can make a positive difference in the world and effect real social change? Rama Gheerawo has dedicated his life to this, using his chosen profession of design to enable this work. Rama believes that design is one of the most powerful professions and that it can be used to change the world for the better and address some of the biggest challenges we face in healthcare.

In this keynote presentation, Rama will share inspiring stories and outline challenges drawing on two decades of experience working in inclusive design. The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art, which he leads, has completed nearly 280 projects with organizations such as Samsung, Unilever and Ford as well as third-sector organizations and governments across the world.

Rama’s lecture will show how healthcare can benefit from good design and how to be more creative by involving people in the design process. Projects to be explored include a redesign of the emergency ambulance, ways of making urban space more liveable and loveable, home-care design and creative approaches to paranoia and mental health. The work spans healthcare and wellbeing, from the home to the hospital.