Environments for Aging - Winter 2021 - 27

Melissa Banko
PRINCIPAL AND FOUNDER,
BANKO DESIGN (MARIETTA, GA.)
with a user. Th ey're meant to be seen and support
a building in function. Furniture, on the other
hand, is not only seen but used daily by residents,
meaning it's an interactive design element. As
such, furniture should be universal-appropriate
scale, quality, and construction as well as comfortable
and ergonomic. Furniture designed for
an aging demographic is special in that it needs
additional thought and strategy. It must be incredibly
durable, ergonomic for the aging body,
light in weight for mobility, easy to get in and out
of, and so on. Th e rising demand for sophisticated
senior living communities and renovations to existing
buildings supports the need for FF&E specifi
c for these users.
Phoenix at Braselton
O
NE REASON MELISSA BANKO says she
founded her own interior design and
furniture, fixtures, and equipment
(FF&E) procurement fi rm was the opportunity
to eff ect positive change by delivering design that
was both functional and beautiful. So when she
noticed a lack of senior-friendly furniture for
her projects, Banko and her team began building
custom furniture that considers not only seniors'
practical needs, such as supportive arm rests, but
also their desire for pieces that were attractive and
not institutional. However, she recognized that
not all projects or project teams could or wanted
to build custom pieces. So following a personal
philosophy that if there was a problem no one
could solve, she should be the one to do it, she
reached out to furniture manufacturer Fairfi eld
Chair to develop a line of furnishings specifi cally
for seniors that could be available to the market
at large. Scheduled to be released in 2022, the line
features details such as appropriate arch support
on seating options, cushioned arm rests, and customizable
casters, designed to make an impact
in residents' daily lives while also contributing to
the delivery of safe and attractive environments
that appeal to today's seniors.
Environments for Aging: What drove you to start a
fi rm specializing in senior living design?
Senior living combines many great aspects of other
design segments, including hospitality, healthcare,
and housing. At the time, there weren't
many fi rms focusing on design and procurement,
specifi cally in senior living, nor many fi rms with
a " resimercial " (residential in look and feel, yet
commercial in scale) approach to design. I knew
that I could bring something new to the industry,
managing projects all the way from design
through procurement. Senior living is a special
segment because there's a philanthropic component.
Designing for an age bracket that deserves
gratitude, grace, and respect is an honor I do not
take lightly.
Why is senior-friendly furniture so important yet
hard to achieve?
Many design elements of a building such as lighting
or plumbing fixtures are not collaborative
How did designing custom furniture become a part
of your work?
Too many FF&E collections are institutional in look,
overly trendy, or poorly scaled. My motto is that if
you can't find it, build it. I wanted furniture that
looked lovely like pieces in a fi ne home or upscale
country club, but available at a great price, appropriate
for senior residents, and built to last. It wasn't
easy to fi nd, so my fi rm started building more of it
to support our projects. I also knew that if my designers
and I were struggling, then others in the industry
were, too, and that we had an opportunity to
help other design groups with product.
What's your vision for senior living in the future?
I'd love to see a younger generation of designers,
owners, developers, etc., become attracted to the
market because I believe that they will bring innovative
and out-of-the-box thinking to the industry.
I also hope to see an increase of interior
fi nish products and FF&E readily available and
appropriate for the senior living market. Our
seniors deserve communities and the furniture
within them to be designed beautifully and functionally,
where they can enjoy their home and
community while receiving great care.
winter 2021 | 27
ANNIE GANNON KAUFMAN
Environments for Aging - Winter 2021

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