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All posts of Kevin Turner AIA

ASHE Article on Bathroom Safety

We recently posted an article on ASHE’s HFM Magazine about safety in psychiatric inpatient bathrooms.  There is also a companion tool to help you evaluate existing facilities.  Follow the link below: https://www.hfmmagazine.com/articles/4328-performing-a-psychiatric-inpatient-bathroom-evaluation This link takes you straight to the tool: https://www.ashe.org/ligatureriskbh  
3 years ago

Design Approach

I was recently asked to spell out my priorities when working with clinicians and architects to establish the plan of a new facility.  I enjoyed answering the question so much, I decided to write it all down and share it with the readers of our website.  So, here it is.  Enjoy: In my mind, the […]
4 years ago

Asking WHY

Recently, my son’s girlfriend asked him to help her design and build a new “house” for her pet bird.  After he assured her that he (and I) would be happy to help, he asked her this question: “WHY do you want this new house and how will it make your and your bird’s life better?”  […]
4 years ago

North Texas BCA talk with Kevin Turner and Dr. Trivedi

On October 2, I participated in a live discussion of design, art and mental health sponsored by the North Texas Business Council for the Arts.  The talk was moderated by Syeda Hasan, a reporter with KERA News.  My fellow discussant was Madhukar H. Trivedi, M.D., a researcher with UT Southwestern Medical Center.  We had a […]
5 years ago

Why Expertise Matters

As a designer who specializes in behavioral healthcare spaces, one of my most difficult jobs is convincing people that you need an expert if you are going to get the most value out of your behavioral healthcare project. Most hospital facilities just hire the same designers that they are used to using and by now, […]
5 years ago

Lighting strategies for behavioral healthcare

Breakthroughs in lighting are very likely the most exciting thing happening in design right now. Science is giving us all kinds of new information about the impact of lighting on our emotions, moods and even actions at the same time that the commonization of LED lighting is making it possible for us to act on […]
5 years ago

Good Design is a Safety Feature

My world is Behavioral Healthcare. As a result, I spend a lot of time talking about safety. How do we eliminate ligature points, sharp corners or hiding spots? These are a really important part of the job, but today I want to talk about another safety idea that I think is also very important.
5 years ago

Joint Commission Ready?

Is your psychiatric hospital or unit ready for the next Joint Commission survey? Most leaders I speak to are confident they are. They have excellent staff, have hired a mock surveyor and are up to date on the most recent rules. Their last survey, 2 years ago, went very well. And yet, so many still […]
5 years ago

Daylight and views in the social and therapeutic spaces

Countless studies have shown the importance of accessing daylight and views in Healthcare spaces and specifically in Behavioral Healthcare spaces. The goal of the BH environment is to normalize patients as part of their treatment; to help them create a sense of rigor and structure to their day. Access to the sun as the driver […]
5 years ago
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