Environments for Aging - Spring 2021 - 7

EDITORIAL

Take a moment
This year's EFA Design Showcase offers us an inspiring
escape when we need it most By Jennifer Kovacs Silvis

The past year-plus has been challenging, to say the least. And
so much of what our collective efforts have focused on is how
design can play a role in alleviating the pressures COVID-19
has placed on our senior living communities and developing
solutions to help ensure the industry is in a better position if/
when a similar crisis unfolds. So when it was time to prepare
this issue of Environments for Aging, I was struck by how it felt
a little different, a little lighter.
As usual, our Spring issue is home to the annual EFA
Design Showcase (our 25th, in fact!). This design competition/
compendium of recent senior living projects is always a favorite, but this year in particular it has allowed a brief escape from
reality: The submissions are all projects completed before any
of us were saying the word " coronavirus. "
An even greater treat for me was hosting a webinar with the design leads on our
award-winning projects to discuss trends found in the Showcase and how they were
successfully supported on those projects (see page 36 for an excerpt of that discussion). I have to admit, it felt good to sit down with industry friends simply to talk design.
And let me tell you, there's a lot for all of us to discuss. Trends that have been percolating for years are welcome sights across numerous projects-exciting shifts, too,
like urban infill projects, communities that support multigenerational interactions, wellness initiatives at the forefront of design, and so on. You'll find thoughtful solutions to
achieve consistent levels of finish across care setttings, comprehensive art programs
and impressive theater spaces, and outdoor areas that could draw anyone out of their
apartment. It's all so heartening to see and demonstrates an understanding of where
this industry needs to go from here.
I hope you, too, can enjoy a getaway of sorts as you dive into this issue and appreciate the power of design and its innate ability to make us feel better.
I'd like to share some design news of our own, as well, starting with the addition of
a new member to our team: Design Lead Wendi Van Eldik. Wendi previously spent
several years steering the design of fellow publications here at Emerald, and we're
thrilled to have her join our EFA family.
Meanwhile, we say goodbye to our longtime art director, Rebecca DeNeau, who's
leaving to pursue new adventures. Becky has been a creative force behind every
issue of EFA ever produced (same for our sister magazine, Healthcare Design). I can't
thank her enough for her creativity, inspiration, and grace over the years. I hope to
make her proud as we embark on this brand's next chapter. EFA

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Lori Alford
Chief Operating Officer
Avanti Senior Living
CC Andrews
President and Chief Strategist
Quantum Age Collaborative
David Banta
Associate
Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners
Laura Busalacchi
Senior Director of Interior Services
Brookdale Senior Living
Vassar Byrd
Chief Executive Officer
Rose Villa Senior Living
Margaret Calkins
Board Chair
Ideas Institute
Daniel J. Cinelli
Managing Principal and Board Director
Perkins Eastman
Michelle Clark
Vice President of Development
Domus Development
Andy Coelho
Senior Vice President of Facilities, Design,
and Development
Sunrise Senior Living
Alexis Denton
Associate Principal
Perkins Eastman
Mitch Elliott
Senior Partner
RDG Planning & Design
Lorraine Hiatt
Environmental Gerontologist
Planning, Research and Design Consultation
Steve Lindsey
Chief Executive Officer
Garden Spot Communities
Dean Maddalena
Founder and President
StudioSix5
Eric McRoberts
Partner
RLPS Architects
Robert C. Pfauth
Director of Senior Living Planning
Erdman
Jane Rohde
Principal
JSR Associates Inc.
Jill Schroeder
Senior Planner/Senior Interior Designer
Pope Architects
Rob Simonetti
Senior Associate and Design Director
SWBR

Spring 2021
2019 * EFAmagazine.com

007_EFA_0321_Editorial, jks ad tw kdz.indd 7

3/31/21 10:03 AM

http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Environments for Aging - Spring 2021