Outside in: award-winning designs integrate natural elements. (The Winners).

This year's panel of experts came to the table with a passion for their work and an eagerness to discuss the latest design developments in the long term care field. Following a spirited debate on the merits of architectural and design projects submitted by providers and consultants, we emerged with a cross section of projects large and small, located from coast-to-coast and exhibiting design excellence functionally and aesthetically. We hope you share our enthusiasm for the projects we felt will have a wonderful capacity to advance the art of design in senior living environments.

Specific design trends we were delighted to see this year included:

* Increased awareness of residents' outdoor and indoor connectedness needs in their lives

* Designs which better "accommodate," rather than control, dementia residents' behavior

* Focus on residents' dignity with more in-room showers and "salon quality" bath suites

* Architectural relevance with new additions being sensitive to existing campus settings

* Designs to foster a sense of "community" within new models for intergenerational care

* Outstanding social connectedness of resident populations in challenging urban sites

We certainly were rewarded by seeing such creativity on the part of entire project teams in the creation of environments that truly merged outdoors with indoors and operational issues with design strategies to empower families and staff, while offering meaning and joy to residents' lives.

Robert P. Volzer, CID, IIDA VOLZER Design Development

Rochester, N.Y.

Jury Chair, 2003 Order of Excellence Awards

Rob Volzer is the founder and principal of VOLZER Design Development. He has more than 20 years experience in planning and design; primarily in long term care environments and healthcare interiors. Volzer advocates evidence-based interior design. and is a member of the Pioneer Network, which has gained national recognition for its work in promoting "Culture Change" in today's skilled nursing facilities.

Volzer's background includes planning and project management work for a private university medical center and the start-up, marketing and management of interior design departments for two multi-office design firms, where he has delivered services in interior design, health care planning and design, facilities management and specification of interior building components and furnishings.

George Pressler, AIA, FHFI, ACHA 

Founder & President of Planning Decision

Resources Inc. (PDR)

Los Angeles, Calif.

Advisor; Symposium on Healthcare Design

George Pressler is the founder and president of Planning Decision Resources Inc. (PDR). Pressler provides planning, programming and design services to healthcare facilities, architects and consultants. Project planning emphasis is placed on operationally efficient space programming through functional conceptual space planning. His objective is to plan facilities with the capability of adapting for future alternative uses to incorporate new technologies as well as improved patient care delivery trends.

Pressler has 30 years of experience in programming and planning for more than 500 health care facility projects worldwide and has witnessed a multitude of philosophical approaches toward creating facilities to benefit the patient.

Timothy M. Rommel, AIA, ACHA

Principal, Western Region

Health/Sciences Leader; Cannon Design

Los Angeles, Calif.

American College of Healthcare Architects

Timothy Rommel is a key member of Cannon Design's Healthcare practice and has worked as a healthcare architect for more than 20 years. He has devoted his professional life to providing clients with planning solutions to meet current and emerging trends in healthcare delivery. He is also knowledgeable of a wide variety of federal, state and municipal regulations that govern the process of healthcare both for general and specialized patient populations.

His working style emphasizes participation of administration, medical staff and other user groups in the design process.

Rommel has worked with notable clients in the United States and Canada, and has explored a broad range of problems, solutions and experiences that have given him a unique and valuable perspective.

Kai-Yee Woo, IIDA

Interior Design Principal; Kai-Yee Woo Associates

San Francisco, Calif.

Certified Contract Interior Designer

Kai-Yee Woo is the Design Principal at Kai-Yee Woo & Associates San Francisco and a professional member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

Woo's interior architecture and design experience is extensive and has reached worldwide in healthcare and related senior care facilities. Her projects range from the International Hospital in Beijing to the new 1,200-bed, Laguna Honda Replacement Hospital in San Francisco.

Woo is a member of several boards including the Hospitals Auxiliary-Medical Center, University of California-San Francisco. She is bilingual in Chinese and English and has written and lectured extensively on senior care and interior design, including a presentation on the effects of interior color on the aging eye at the Eye Institute in Moscow.