If we start from a place that conveys healing and hope, we will create designs that support human emotions.

The most important reason to design a hospital is to better enable staff to improve patient outcomes. I approach hospital design with reverence for all who depend on it: staff, patients and families alike. I bring over 30 years of experience as a hospital capital planning and operations executive to my position of Vice President Healthcare at Kasian. With my background in health administration, I understand how each hospital department operates, and what keeps stakeholders up at night. I start by asking better questions — to engage in a facilitated dialogue so that true collaboration leads to a co-created solution. My preference is to start with patients and families to learn their stories to expose touchpoints from which breakthrough designs emerge. Encouraging clients to put themselves in the shoes of the patient helps users redefine the key drivers of design.

My notable projects include leading the Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre redevelopment in Halifax, the Peel Regional Cancer and Ambulatory Care Centre in Mississauga, and the Bridgepoint Health redevelopment in Toronto. Designing from a place of empathy takes courage, and my team supports our clients when they’re ready to take bold steps to further their patients’ well-being.

My Sectors: Healthcare

My Services: Planning, Design & Conformance

We asked, Ian answered:

What makes a great design?

“In healthcare, the building itself should be part of the therapeutic process. To do that, I believe we must align design with the values of each organization I work with. It has to start there. I believe in creating spaces that affect us emotionally. If we start from a place that conveys healing and hope, we will create designs that support human emotions. Designing from a place of empathy for the patient will, I believe, lead to better patient outcomes. Extending this approach to staff — many of whom we know are mentally and physically drained doing their work — will, I believe, help to heal the healers, keeping them in their chosen professions when we need them most.”

What inspires you?

“I really get inspired by people who are courageous, who really dare to push limits in advocating for patients.”