Tag: Design

9. Danielle Lavallee, Director of Interior Design at Belmont Village

This episode we are joined by Danielle Lavallee, Belmont Village’s award-winning Director of Interior Design. She discusses her creative process, some oft-overlooked Senior Living design features, and her biggest lessons learned. This weekend is an especially exciting time for Danielle. Her latest project, Belmont Village Lincoln Park in Chicago, is having its grand opening and open house this weekend!

To follow Danielle’s incredible Senior Living design work, visit her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d4designed/

Show Notes:

0:48 How did you end up in Senior Living?

2:13 What is your day-to-day like?

5:32 How do you piece together the themes on your projects?

10:00 Do your ideas typically stem from one idea, like at your Berkeley Project, or are they derived from an amalgam of ideas?

14:02 What are some subtle design features you’ve implemented that the average visitor may not notice?

18:30 What are some of the big lessons you had to learn early in your career after entering this space?

21:10 What are the emotions of a grand opening like as a designer?

23:23 Are there any signatures or common threads in your work?

24:35 What advice do you have for others who are pursuing careers in Senior Living design?

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Episode 6: Town Square Concept with Scott Tarde, CEO of George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers

This episode features an interview with Scott Tarde, the Chief Executive Officer at George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers, Inc. If you haven’t already heard of Glenner’s innovative Town Square model, do yourself a favor and check them out before this episode. The concept has already been featured on the Today Show, ABC, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, among countless other internationally recognized publications. As Scott describes, Glenner’s concept utilizes proven Reminiscence Therapy to assist individuals suffering from dementia. The concept has been proven to improve mood and reduce agitation through the power of eliciting memories.

Show Notes below:

What is the Town Center model and where did the Idea come from? 0:40

What led you to this industry? 3:45

What challenges did you face by being young and in a leadership position? 6:20

How do you pull from your ED experience as a CEO? 8:10

How did the design come together, and what features might people initially overlook? 17:00

How do you group your residents together? 21:00

At what point will Glenner need to redesign storefronts to accommodate residents from a different era? 22:15

What has been your biggest surprise so far? 28:00

What is your advice for young professionals in aging services? 31:00

Following the interview, I toured the space with Scott. They’ve rightfully received a lot of press and I read everything I could before the interview. Despite my preparation attempts, several well-thought out details caught me by surprise. I focus on these unexpected yet appreciated details in my post-interview commentary. 34:25

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