CANCELLED: Trauma-Informed Design: Resilience and Healing

June 14, 2022
12:00 – 1:00 PM PST
Via Zoom
Professional Development Series | Designing for Mental & Emotional Health
Free to Attend

Educational challenges and the amplified exposure to systemic inequities wrought by the global pandemic are having wide-ranging effects on students and educators everywhere—particularly those who have, or are, experiencing trauma. This comes at a tremendous price to society: 85% of children in Head Start, 90% of youth in the juvenile justice system and 93% of adolescents in psychiatric treatment programs have experienced trauma.

While complex and prolonged trauma can have profound effects on physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes across the lifespan, promising practices have begun to emerge that can buffer children, adults, and families from the effects of adverse experiences and to prevent their most negative consequences. This session will offer trauma-informed care practices, tools, interventions, and designs that promote healing and resiliency in children and adults so that people, systems, and communities can function at their full capacity and potential in school, in the workplace, and in community, family and interpersonal relationships.

The panel will offer concrete trauma-informed design patterns and processes to help school and community planners, designers, and architects design for resilience and healing. The panel will also offer conceptual ideas for future educational designs and share their optimism for new ways of teaching and learning, offering innovative design ideas for 2070 and beyond.

Speakers:

Lorne McConachie, FAIA, Principal, Bassetti Architects
Lorne has over 40 years of experience planning schools that focus on personalized, collaborative spaces that support differentiated learning, engaged communities, and sustainable connections to place. He is especially adept at trauma informed design where safe, welcoming, and flexible spaces are vital. Lorne's architecture, writing, speaking, and consulting have contributed to enhancing learning environments, inspiring students, and enriching communities. Lorne co-authored a book (Architecture for Achievement) and several published articles. His work has been recognized with A4LE's MacConnell Award for Raisbeck Aviation High School (2014 finalist), Lynnwood High School (2010 winner), Todd Beamer High School (2004 finalist), and Edmonds-Woodway High School (1999 winner) and most recently, the Kelly Tanner Innovation Award (2021 winner). Under his leadership, Bassetti has been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally with numerous awards for transformational educational designs that embrace strategies for changing curricula, enhancing communities, environmental stewardship, and technology integration.

Deepa Bharatkumar, LEED AP -BD+C, Assoc. AIA, CDT
A Senior Associate at Bassetti Architects’ Portland office with 20 years in the profession, Deepa is deeply aware of the built environment’s impacts on its users. She views educational projects as opportunities to serve the most important people – children. As a first-generation immigrant who has witnessed extreme poverty in her homeland, she empathizes with victims of trauma. Her approach, seeking input from vulnerable voices during design, attempts to ensure that our schools are perceived as a sanctuary.