Newsletter of the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University
An educational video series created at Texas A&M University that shows how to create healthy, inviting outdoor environments for seniors in residential settings recently garnered international recognition from the American Society of Landscape Architects.
The three DVD series, "Access to Nature: Planning Outdoor Space for Aging," created and directed by Susan Rodiek, an associate professor of architecture at Texas A&M, earned honors in the research category of the 2010 ASLA Professional Awards.
The juried awards are presented annually to “the best projects in landscape architecture around the world” in the categories of general design, residential design, analysis and planning, research and communication. In its April 27 award announcement, the ASLA said the 2010 jurors reviewed the largest number of entries in ASLA history — 618 from 20 countries — before selecting the 49 award winners.
Rodiek’s video series shows how long-term care providers and health facility designers can promote the health of older adults at all levels of care through enhanced access to natural environments. The lessons are uniquely tailored for health care providers, policymakers, educators, designers and consumer advocates.
"There's a lot of research showing that spending time outside can have major health benefits for older people," said Rodiek, holder of the Ronald L. Skaggs Endowed Professorship in Health Facilities Design. "If facility residents go outdoors for even five or 10 minutes a day, it can greatly benefit their health, mood, sleeping patterns, hormone balance and vitamin D absorption."
Utilizing input from assisted care facility residents and drawing from the latest research in gerontology, psychology and design, Rodiek’s videos establish guidelines for creating outdoor spaces that residents will use, while pointing out common pitfalls, such as 'invisible' barriers that prevent easy access to outdoor features.
“This interdisciplinary video project was a team effort that immensely benefited from the different perspectives,” said Rodiek, who is also a faculty fellow in the Center for Health Systems & Design at the Texas A&M College of Architecture, where the video series was developed. Project contributors included architects, landscape architects, long-term care providers, gerontologists, psychologists, and statisticians.
The 2010 ASLA Professional Award marks the second prestigious honor garnered by the video series, which also received a first place Environment + Design Award in 2009 from the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living, a coalition of 11 national organizations focused on quality health care for older adults.
“Both awards are important, because our multidisciplinary project creates a dialogue between these two diverse fields,” said Rodiek. “The ASLA awards represent the highest achievements in the field of landscape architecture, and the CEAL award represents all the major national organizations in the field of assisted living.”
News of the 2010 ASLA Professional Award for the "Access to Nature” series has drawn praise from a wide range of professionals in the health facility design and health care professions.
Naomi Sachs, director of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network and principal of Naomi Sachs Design, called the video series "a significant contribution to the field."/
Robert Brown, professor of landscape architecture at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, told Rodiek, "We can all read the big boomer bulge in the demographic charts that, in the next few years, is going to be needing appropriate facilities. It’s amazing,” he continued, “how few people are actually doing something about it. You and your team are, and I congratulate you."
Clare Cooper Marcus, professor emeritus at the University of California – Berkeley and author of “Healing Gardens,” wrote, “Finally! A user-friendly resource for designers and administrators, presenting the latest relevant research on the design of outdoor space for senior housing.”
The 2010 ASLA Professional Awards will be presented Sept. 13 during the national ASLA Annual Meeting and Expo in Washington D.C.
For more details on the "Access to Nature" video series or to purchase a copy, visit http://www.accesstonature.org/.
- Posted: May 11, 2010 -
