Master of Architecture with a Certificate in Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, Clemson University
Fellowship Experience/Accomplishments While working for four years between her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Stephanie found that she was particularly interested in the healthcare projects she worked on, specifically long term care facilities. For Stephanie, her interest in Healthcare Architecture stems from her desire to make someone’s stay in a healthcare facility more pleasant by creating environments that generate better outcomes and support the health and well-being of its occupants.
While working towards her Certificate in Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University, and after receiving her LEED Accreditation in 2009, she gained insight that “health” applied to all types of architecture is extremely important. Stephanie believes that the needs of every building user must be examined closely and the impact of the design on those users must be considered throughout the design process. For her, all types of architecture should be sustainable, not only at the human scale but the building, site, and community scales as well.
At Texas A&M University, Stephanie produced a final study consisting of research (both an examination of collected research articles and a qualitative analysis of focus groups she conducted) to create design guidelines for a small-scale, long term care facility that was being designed within the fabric of an urban neighborhood in Greenville, South Carolina. The goal of the facility was to promote the comfort and well-being of the building’s residents by providing opportunities for increased social interaction through different involvement levels with the surrounding community. Stephanie was recognized for her final study through the Design for Aging Scholarship, sponsored by the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University, and before graduating she also received the AIA Henry Adams Medal and Certificate, given to the top-ranking graduating student from each NAAB accredited architecture program. During her final year of graduate school, Stephanie had the privilege of working with Dr. Roger Ulrich collecting research articles and assisting him teach a new undergraduate course entitled, “Social and Behavioral Factors in Design”.
Stephanie is currently working on several WHR research projects and plans to attend the 2010 Healthcare Design Conference in Las Vegas this November.
