7 Nov, 2024
Pineapple’s Edward Larsen hosts a discussion around neurodivergence and the importance of design for support and inclusivity.
We have an opportunity in the design world to make the built environment less of a challenge for the neurodivergent population, and focus on creating spaces that are inclusive and supportive of individuals and their diverse cognitive styles.
Building versatility into the spaces gives a sense of agency to the people within them. While we can’t really understand how everyone is going to perceive the built environment, one thing we can do is ask.
Join Edward with guests Stephanie Vito from CannonDesign and Jason Beshore from HDR as they discuss how design is influencing the built environment to not only be a space of healing but also a space made suitable for all people within it.
Since the beginning of her career, Stephanie has made it her mission to bring an oft-neglected subset of healthcare and design to the forefront–mental and behavioral health. She possesses a keen understanding of how the delivery of behavioral healthcare and its evolution are best supported by the environments designers create. Her goal on each project is to address the entire continuum of care within mental health, knowing it is key to reducing stigma and bringing resources and care to those who need it most.
Stephanie’s professional drive is rooted in basic human empathy — seeking to eliminate stigmas that surround behavioral health by pushing society’s preconceptions through design. She is dedicated to the advancement and betterment of behavioral health environments and is a strong advocate for putting mental healthcare centers in urban areas. She is consistently advocating for health systems to be progressive in how they approach mental healthcare and the spaces where care is provided, frequently sharing her expertise at conferences and nationwide publications.
With more than 25 years of design and construction experience, primarily in healthcare facilities, Jason has a well-balanced background in healthcare planning, operations, project management, architecture, construction, and client relations.
A passionate client advocate and actively engaged in the implementation of his projects from inception to completion, Jason’s healthcare experience includes ambulatory care centers, cancer facilities, diagnostic imaging, emergency departments, medical office buildings, inpatient beds and many other healthcare environments.
A member of the Mental Healthcare Design Center of Excellence, Jason introduces strategic design trends to a broader audience. In a field where evidence-based design and research targeted toward mental health have historically lagged behind, he leads the charge to use research findings to fill the gap and build upon that evidence base to continually improve the standard of care.
Jason has served as the behavioral health expert on numerous behavioral and mental health projects across the U.S. for private healthcare clients and state agencies, holding roles in planning and design leadership.
