Adventures in June
I can’t believe that we are half way through the year already, time flies when you are having fun! The first half of the year has been a very busy time for all the team and none more so than June.
Erin, Kathryn and Anna visited Denfair in Melbourne to explore all the latest exciting interior design products as well as having the opportunity to listen to a variety of interesting speakers on subjects such as technology and designing for the senses. One of the most interesting was “Value vs Trends" which discussed the challenge of authentic design. What is the true cost of authentic design and how can good design be accessible to all? This is a subject we constantly deliberate as a team, how do you make the environment in aged care authentic? What does that even mean? We believe if you don’t get that right then it will never be an environment in which residents will want to stay.
The girls then travelled to Sydney to visit the factory of Materialised. This company has developed a number of interesting new products that will allow the team to design bespoke fabrics, wall coverings and even blinds to ensure our clients get something different and unique each time.
I have been busy working on a presentation for the “Social Impact Festival 2017” that will be held here in Perth next month. The festival’s aim is to look at ways to create and nurture a society that works for all and I will be speaking on how to maintain community within a dementia facility. How do you create an environment within aged care and especially in dementia specific spaces where the overall community still want to be involved? This is a difficult task for architects, designers and providers and I will present global examples of how this has been achieved in a number of ways.
Lastly I would like to make mention of a film a friend of mine took me too recently. It was part of the Dirty Girls Adventure Film Festival, and no, it wasn’t anything pornographic but in fact incredibly inspirational. It was a unique selection of films showcasing the female adventurous spirit. One of the films included the story of a woman called Gwen Moffat. Gwen was a climber, initially in bare feet, and became Britain’s first female climbing guide. She is now 91 years of age and is inspiring younger woman all over the world. Our elders have such a gift to give to the younger generations and there are lots of stories to be unlocked even within our aged care facilities. If you would like to see the short movie:
Image Courtesy of Erin Taylor at Denfair 2017
