Environments for Aging - Spring 2021 - 69

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Q&A

with Kimberly Hyduke

Partner, MDP | Merlino Design Partnership
What defined senior
living design 10 years ago
and what defines it now?
In the last 10 years, the
largest shift we have
experienced in senior living
has been in dining and
wellness. In addition to
providing multiple dining
venues to support variety and
increased interactions, there
has been an emphasis on
creating spaces that promote
healthy living.
Looking forward, the
wellness component will
continue to be important
with more amenities being
offered. Just as technology

occurring in the way our
clients approach and offer
dining services to residents.

Photo: Duca Studio Photography

during COVID-19 significantly
changed how we dine, shop,
and live our daily lives, there
will be a paradigm shift

What drew you to the
senior living design
sector?
From a young age, I knew
I wanted to be a designer.
I followed the footsteps of
my father, Samuel Merlino,
who started our firm in 1973.
Over the years, the firm
has naturally evolved from
designing hospitals to senior
living communities.
Being very close to my
maternal grandfather, it broke
my heart to see his concern

about leaving his home
when he needed a greater
level of care. It solidified my
dedication to designing safe
and beautiful environments for
the elderly-creating spaces
where they can continue to
grow, learn and cherish a new
chapter in their lives.
www.mdpdesign.com

Q&A

with Dean Kelly, AIA
Architect, Associate Principal, Rice Fergus Miller Architecture Interiors Planning
What's one major design
or care delivery trend
that's shaping your work
today? And how so?
In the wake of the pandemic,
connections to outdoor space
and the ability to use them
year-round has become
more important than ever.
We are currently designing
an outdoor room that opens
to a beautiful courtyard just
outside, activating an otherwise
passive and underused
space. Integrated heaters and
fireplaces will keep the room
comfortable since it will act
as the community's social
centerpiece throughout the
year. These same principles

ventilation, enhancing biophilia,
and promoting flexible
programming.

Photo: Rice Fergus Miller VizLab

are being applied inside
buildings as we look at
opening social spaces to the
outdoors, utilizing passive

Is there an experience
you've had personally or
with a client/resident that
changed the way you view
your work?
During a Master Planning
workshop early in my career,
it was powerful to see the
sense of community and
level of resident involvement
the exercise created. The
community had over 70
resident-led committees, all
very interested to see how
we could accommodate their
needs through our design.

Coming from a background
in mixed-use buildings,
adding various amenities
to a residential building
was standard practice, but
there was always a nagging
question: Does anyone
actually need these spaces?
So, we focused our design on
answering a different question:
How can these spaces
enhance what is already
special about this community?   
www.RFMarch.com
http://www.mdpdesign.com http://www.mdpdesign.com http://www.RFMarch.com http://www.RFMarch.com
Environments for Aging - Spring 2021

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