Healthcare Design - April 2021 - 48

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Time

NICHOLAS WATKINS

Global health sector research lead, Gensler (New York)
Nick Watkins found his lifelong passion for research -
and future in healthcare design-during college, where
he was first exposed to the idea that architecture could
advance fundamental physical and psychological needs. After graduation,
he continued to sharpen his skills at several firms, including CannonDesign and
HOK, before joining Gensler in 2017. These days, he's also " testing " new running
strategies when taking a break from professional research.-Anne DiNardo

Design research of cancer centers and translational research facilities while at CannonDesign.

Beware of " evidence-washing. " Society, the media,
project obligations, and other forces shape the
expectation that design research reveals " big-T "
truths that can be applied to every project and
reinforce what designers and clients already know.

W H AT D O Y O U L I K E B E S T
A B O U T H E A LT H C A R E D E S I G N
RESEARCH?
Findings that inform simple and successful design
solutions that foster quality, empathy, altruism, or
well-being without anyone's conscious awareness.

1 a ceramic rooster figurine named
2 a chipped coffee mug covered with

colorful images of English birds (a gift
to my father that I'll never part with).

3 a sleeping British Blue kitten

named " Tippi. "

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE, WE'LL
L I K E LY F I N D Y O U ...
Writing poetry or fiction, reading, eating lunch near
the river, or exercising. My current reads are pretty
diverse: " Moby Dick " to " Cognitive Dissonance. "

W H AT C H A L L E N G E S K E E P Y O U
U P AT N I G H T ?

W H AT ' S A N E W H O B B Y
YOU'VE PICKED UP DURING
T H E C O R O N AV I R U S P A N D E M I C ?

My mind races with ideas, research questions,
statistical models ... I have to read fiction with long
sentences so I can fall asleep.

I now spend part of my runs going backwards.
I'm told that this is supposed to help with my
balance.

T H R E E H E A LT H C A R E P R O J E C T S
YOU'VE WORKED ON IN THE
LAST YEAR AND YOUR ROLE

1
2
3

A nationwide study of the outpatient experience, principal investigator.
Mt. Sinai PeakHealth Clinic of the Future,
principal investigator.

Sharp HealthCare research-informed master
planning, principal investigator.

48

APRIL 2021

I'm not fully human until
I've had coffee in the
morning.

THREE UNEXPECTED ITEMS ON
YOUR DESK

" Cecil. "
W H AT D E S I G N L E S S O N F R O M
T H AT P R O J E C T D O Y O U S T I L L
C A R R Y W I T H Y O U T O D AY ?

M O R NING
P ER SO N O R
NIG H T O W L?

HCDMAGAZINE.COM

F IC T IO N O R
NO NF IC T IO N?
I gave up trying to make the
distinction 20 years ago.

F IR ST A LBUM YO U
EV ER BO UG H T
Sheryl Crow- " Tuesday
Night Music Club. "

H O W D ID YO U
M A KE YO UR
F IR ST D O LLA R ?
I picked quarts of
strawberries for
5 cents each.

W IND O W O R
A ISLE SEAT ?
Window. It's fascinating
to see the world from a
great height.

FAV O R IT E
A P P / W EBSIT E
ScienceDaily.

YO UR G O -T O
KA R A O KE SO NG
" Momentum " by Aimee
Mann (mercy on the poor
soul who has to listen).

AMY CARTER, JUNE DENG, GENSLER (MT. SINAI)

W H A T W A S Y O U R F I R S T P O S TCOLLEGE RESEARCH PROJECT?

D O G O R C AT ?
I love both and would
like a guinea pig, hermit
crab, and cockatiel
mixed in there, too.
http://www.HCDMAGAZINE.COM
Healthcare Design - April 2021

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