Healthcare Design - January/February 2020 - 112

fac e

Time

W H AT WA S Y O U R F I R S T
P R O J E C T I N H E A LT H C A R E
DESIGN?
Designing outpatient clinics for Harvard
Community Health Plan. My focus was on all
the public spaces and consulting on the clinical
rooms. This client was amenable to new concepts
and innovations like monumental stairs, access to
daylight, and preventive care, all 20-plus years in
advance of current trends.

L E S S O N F R O M T H AT P R O J E C T
T H AT Y O U S T I L L C A R RY W I T H
Y O U T O D AY ?
That the end users and the clientele would always
be open to better solutions and higher aesthetics if
packaged correctly. One should always test/push the
boundaries.

THREE UNEXPECTED ITEMS ON
YOUR DESK

1 a squishy yellow

donkey given to me
by a vendor

2 old toy soldier

with binoculars
(It reminds me to keep an eye on
things and that there are people
out there looking out for us even
if we don't see them.)

3 A red nose from the national
campaign to help children in
need. It's a daily reminder to
take time to give and volunteer
more.

W H E N D I D Y O U S TA R T
DESIGNING FURNITURE AND
WHY?

F AV O R I T E C I T Y T O V I S I T
Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. It's an ethereal place.

RENALDO PESSON

Design director and associate
partner, E4H Environments for
Health Architecture, New York
WITH A CAREER that spans more
than two decades, Renaldo Pesson
has worked in a variety of design
sectors, including commercial,
institutional, and healthcare. But it's his work
in healthcare architecture and interior design
that he says is a true calling. "I feel the commitment to serve the multitude of individuals
who visit and work in the environments I design," he says. "I can see their faces and know
the difference I have made in their lives." Most
recently, he's collaborated with Weill Cornell
Medicine in New York and worked on a master plan for a new patient and staff dining hall
for Memorial Sloan Kettering. But his contributions to the healthcare industry don't stop
there. He's also created custom healthcare
furniture, with one of his patented designs,
Balance Beam, winning a past Best of NeoCon Silver and an Innovation award. So what
trend in furniture design does he welcome as a
breath of fresh air? "The overnight sleep-sofa,"
he says. "It avails one of the most fundamental
aspects of the healing process: allowing loved
ones and caregivers to remain overnight and
be comfortable." -Anne DiNardo

T H R E E W O R D S T H AT D E S C R I B E
YOUR DESIGN AESTHETIC

1 eclectic
2 beautiful
3 appropriate
F AV O R I T E ...

M OVI E CH ARA C T ER James Bond. He's a welldressed, solution-driven world traveler.
COL OR Most shades of blue.
APP/WEB SI TE Dezeen magazine.
I CE CREAM FLAV OR Oreo
cookie.
SPORT Basketball.
TEAM Rhymes with "bakers."
H OB B Y Sketching.
B OOK One of my recent favorites
is "Between The World and Me," by
Ta-Nehisi Coates.

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE, YOU'LL
L I K E LY F I N D M E . . .
At some cultural event. I love music, art, and theater in
many forms. They expand the breadth of one's existence.

D O G O R C AT ?
Dog. The loyalty and love seem boundless.

COFFEE OR TEA?
Tea, but I'm trying to get into coffee.

W I N D O W O R A I S L E S E AT ?
Always window. I'll never lose that fascination of flight,
those "cotton ball" clouds, and seeing the world from
above.

I won the gold medal for woodworking upon graduating
middle school and found I enjoyed the fine craft of
furniture or industrial design.

YOUR GO-TO KARAOKE SONG?
"Ribbon in the Sky," by Stevie Wonder.

C O C K TA I L O F C H O I C E ?
HOW DOES YOUR BACKGROUND
IN ARCHITECTURE HELP YOU
WITH FURNITURE DESIGN?

Lately, Gold Rush. Previously, Cosmo.

It taught me the delicate art of detailing and about the
juxtaposition of elements and how they impact each
other as you work through the process and arrive at a
finished product.

I F I WA S N ' T A N
A R C H I T E C T, I W O U L D B E ...

112

J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

Y O U R H I D D E N TA L E N T ?
Ikebana.

PESS ON RECENTLY WORKED ON AN ADULT AND PEDIATRIC
OUTPATIENT CLINIC FOR WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE IN NEW YORK.

HCDMAGAZINE.COM

A fashion designer or merchandiser.
http://www.HCDMAGAZINE.COM
Healthcare Design - January/February 2020

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