Title on book cover.
AIA's California Council (AIACC) has named Derek Parker the 2008 recipient of the Distinguished Practice Award.
Parker approaches each project as an opportunity not only to further the goals of a healthcare organization, but also to advance the state of healthcare design. Known for introducing unconventional healthcare design elements that are now commonplace and replicated by others, he is a strong advocate of evidence-based design...
Parker co-founded the Center for Health Design, one of the leading organizations dedicated to improving healthcare practices through evidence-based design research and implementation.
To learn more about Derek's work, I suggest a new book: Modernity in Healing And Learning: The Architecture of Anshen+Allen by Felicia Cleper-Borkovi. I am enjoying reading it right now. It is a beautifully illustrated and well written small book (only 160 pages).
Incidentally, Derek provided a thoughtful response to my post on the question "Why No Cool Looking Hospitals"
Derek Parker, FAIA serves on the Board of Directors at Anshen+Allen. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Health Design.
To read the press release on the award, click on "Continue Reading"
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC) announces Derek Parker, FAIA, as the 2008 recipient of the Distinguished Practice Award. This award recognizes an individual architect’s work, his or her responses to the challenges of an individual building type, innovations within the design and construction process, design excellence and a demonstrated collaborative spirit. The award is given in recognition of a career that exemplifies dedication and commitment to the built environment.
Through his building designs and emergence as a leader on an international scale, Parker is among a group of architects who have inspired an industry to innovate, elevate and revolutionize. As such, he has significantly impacted healthcare design. His accomplishments include the creation of breakthrough innovations in healthcare projects, the cultivation of a practice to grow from the local level to an international entity, and the leadership to spur healthcare designers to respond to changes in the healthcare industry.
In 1964, when Bob Anshen died unexpectedly, Parker stepped into a leadership role, expanding and elevating the size, scale and breadth of Anshen+Allen’s work and placing it on the international stage. Parker’s strong conviction that health and education are the foundation of civilization led the firm to focus on healthcare and academic design.
Parker approaches each project as an opportunity not only to further the goals of a healthcare organization, but also to advance the state of healthcare design. Known for introducing unconventional healthcare design elements that are now commonplace and replicated by others, he is a strong advocate of evidence-based design, a field of research documenting the ability of design to improve patients’ healing, reduce medical errors, enhance efficiency, and increase the satisfaction of patients, staff, and physicians. Parker co-founded the Center for Health Design, one of the leading organizations dedicated to improving healthcare practices through evidence-based design research and implementation. He also co-created the ‘Fable Hospital’ (an ideal facility that integrates evidence-based design) which is commonly used as a model for estimating design cost impacts against operating healthcare benefits.
One of Parker’s greatest contributions is his ability to instill a passion in his colleagues to pursue new directions in healthcare design, cultivate deeper relationships with clients, bridge the gap between healthcare providers and healthcare designers and build organizations to elevate and transform the healing and treatment environment. Over his 45 year career, Derek has given hundreds of presentations, written more than 18 transformative works, and founded, been a member of, or advised more than 25 organizations dedicated to improving healthcare, including: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI); The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF); The Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment (BICE), National Academies; and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Believing in architects’ unique training as problem-solvers, he encourages a culture that nurtures architects’ creativity to help clients meet the challenges of the future.
The AIACC recognizes Derek Parker, FAIA, and his career characterized by professionalism, leadership and innovation.
The AIACC represents the interests of more than 10,000 architects and allied professionals in California. Founded in 1944, AIACC’s mission supports architects in their endeavor to improve the quality of life for all Californians by creating more livable communities, sustainable designs and quality work environments. Today the AIACC is the largest component of the national AIA organization. For more information, visit www.aiacc.org.
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