Kimball International Launches Season 5 of Alternative Design Podcast

Commercial furnishings manufacturer Kimball International recently premiered the fifth season of its Alternative Design podcast, according to a news release. The first episode was released on March 17, and new episodes will launch monthly. The podcast discusses forces that shape built environments, from work to housing to healthcare to human wellness.

Hosted by Kaelynn Reid, the podcast’s first episode discusses shifts in healthcare environments that have granted more power to patients. As wearable and smart technology has expanded to allow ordinary people to track their own health, expanding healthcare beyond the hospital setting, should other built environments keep pace?

The episode’s two guests offer a dialogue circling that central question. Dr. Upali Nanda, Global Sector Director for Innovation at HKS; and Dr. Andrew Boozary, primary care physician, policy practitioner, researcher, and executive director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine. Nanda discusses how design, policy, and technology can be used to transform homes into healing spaces. Boozary, meanwhile, discusses Dunn House, a hospital campus with a dedicated space for permanent social housing.

Season 5 will come at the concept of design thinking from multiple angles, discussing the impact of environments on health, human potential, and behavior, according to the news release.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Western Kentucky University, Gilbane Announce “Elevate WKU” Partnership

    Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., recently announced that it has reached the financial close on a on a public-private partnership (P3) with Gilbane Development, according to a news release.

  • Fellowes Expands Finish and Wall-Covering Options for Architectural Wall Systems

    Fellowes Architectural Solutions has expanded the materials library for its architectural wall systems with a series of new finishes and wall-covering options intended to provide architects and designers with additional choices for commercial interiors, according to a company news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Cleveland High School Breaks Ground on Modernization

    Portland Public Schools in Portland, Ore., recently announced that construction has begun on a modernization project for Cleveland High School, according to a news release. The existing building will be replaced with a new, 300,000-square-foot facility at the same site.