Design With Nature: An Integrated Design Approach to the Environment of Care

Design With Nature: An Integrated Design Approach to the Environment of Care is a webinar presentation on the intersection of landscape architecture and evidence-based design in healthcare facilities. 

Integrating research and a philosophy of landscape healing environments into all scales of the medical planning and design process is essential for overall success and widespread adoption. This session will focus on the work of two leading healthcare landscape architecture firms and their combined experience that supports the integrated, evidence-based design approach to incorporating landscape architecture concepts into campus design.


Moderated by the landscape architect representative on the Environmental Standards Council of the Center for Health Design, this presentation features award-winning healing environments from across the country. The concepts will appeal to healthcare administrators, practitioners, and integrated design teams alike. The goal is to demonstrate the connection between good planning and good design in successful outcomes, budgeting, and creation of a systemwide philosophy that works for all users.

Webinar Learning Objectives

• Provide an overview of influence and impacts of landscape architecture on healthcare design
• Examine design characteristics and case studies of healing gardens and therapeutic environments
• Explore healthcare campus design and master planning process with case studies

Laurel Macdonald is Principal of Macdonald Environmental Planning (MEP) in Portland, Oregon, an award-winning landscape architecture firm specializing in creating healing environments, community places, and sustainable design projects throughout the West Coast. She has over 25 years of experience in a range of areas, specifically focusing on master planning and the site design of medical facilities for a number of regional hospital systems. Her experience has led to speaking engagements and she has collaborated on many articles outlining the innovative techniques for master planning of healing environments, and translating evidence-based research into successful spaces for a wide variety of users. Her project work includes full system master plans, campus master plans, medical facility additions, healing gardens, and a variety of facilities incorporating research, planning, and design.

Jerry Smith, ASLA, LEED AP, is an active member of the Environmental Standards Council of the Center for Health Design, representing landscape architecture in healthcare. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the Green Guide for Health Care. Jerry is a Senior Associate with the HOK Planning Group where he leads the healthcare initiatives in landscape architecture and planning. He has 20 years experience in healthcare design, having worked with healthcare architecture firms in Boston and the Mid-West. A recipient of several ASLA awards in design, Jerry holds professional degrees in Botany, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, is on the faculty of the Healthcare Garden Design Certificate Program at the School of the Chicago Botanic Garden and is a lecturer at the Knowlton School of Architecture at The Ohio State University.

Brian M. Slovacek, is principal, project manager, for Healthcare Design Studio. He brings diligence and efficiency to each project, which makes him a valuable team player at Hitchcock Design Group. His strength lies in his ability to stay focused yet retain his creativity while working on complex projects.

As a Project Manager, Brian has coordinated multiple consultants and managed tight deadlines on such projects as Friendship Village Crosswell Trace and Bridgewater Place, Edward Hospital Outpatient Center in Plainfield, Silver Cross Hospital Emergency Department, the replacement facility for Sherman Hospital in Elgin, and Marianjoy Rehablink Therapeutic Gardens in Wheaton, Illinois. Brian has also been lead designer on such projects as Edward Hospital Pedestrian Plaza in Naperville, Arcade Building Courtyard in Champaign, Benet Academy Center for Performing Arts in Lisle, and DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville, Illinois.

Internally, Brian manages the firm's standard specifications and helps coordinate staff initiative assignments. During the summer of 2001, Brian expanded his knowledge in therapeutic garden design by participating in intense one-on-one education at the Rusk Institute at New York University Hospital.