ASID Appoints Council to Examine Design Issues for an Aging America

Furniture World News

Recognizing that the majority of Americans want to remain in their homes as they age, the American Society of Interior Designers has established a volunteer council of noted experts to look at how design solutions can enhance and support residents throughout the life span. The Council will draw upon its vast experience and networks of professionals to provide the ASID Board of Directors with recommendations on information, research and education efforts that the Society should undertake to better prepare designers and consumers to meet the challenges that come with the normal process of aging. “It is inevitable that we will all age,” says council member Leslie Shankman-Cohn, ASID, an award-winning designer from Memphis, Tenn. “Whether we do so gracefully or otherwise, we all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and to ‘age in style.’ We should not be isolated from the day to day activities that make our lives worthwhile. It is essential that designers continue to learn all they can about age-related changes and social and psychological needs to create better environments for older adults. It is equally as important to look beyond the immediate needs of one sector of the population and provide a smooth transition for living needs throughout one’s life and physical abilities.” The Council members come from a variety of backgrounds and practices. Collectively, they cover a broad spectrum of experience and expertise in designing interior spaces for older persons. Says nationally recognized independent living specialist and Council member Louis Tenenbaum, “The opportunity to work with this group of dedicated and talented professionals to solve the critical problem of housing and care for the growing population of older citizens was not something I could pass up.” The members of the ASID Aging in Place Council are as follows: Truth Camina, ASID has worked for production builders for the past 22 years and is currently the director of interior design services with Centex Homes in San Antonio, Texas, where she has worked for the past 12 years. Prior to joining Centex Homes, Camina owned an interior design and space planning company for five years with her sister , a commercial architect, and later worked for the Galveston Historical Foundation on the restoration of the Elissa, a square rigged sailing ship built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where she was in the first class to receive a B.S. in interior design. In her current position, she is involved with changes that are made to accommodate physical challenges, many of which are due to aging. She works with the new home sales person or homeowner to determine needs, get pricing and facilitate installation of these changes. Drue Ellen Lawlor, FASID is a certified interior designer in the state of California, where she now specializes in design consultation for “aging-in-place.” Lawlor is a principal in education-works, inc., a Dallas-based professional development seminar group that both independently, and in partnership with companies and organizations, develops and delivers programs for those in design-related professions, as well as seminars structuredfor their specific markets. Lawlor, who is currently serving as Chair of the ASID Aging in Place Council, is an NCIDQ certificate holder and a Fellow of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), having served as an ASID volunteer leader in a variety of positions for a number of years. She also has been a college instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, and has co-authored and co-produced, with another local interior designer, a series of design seminars for the public that has been offered around the country. Patricia Rowen, ASID, CAPS, is a certified interior designer in the state of California and is on the Michigan list of qualified interior designers. She and her husband own Rowen Design, which specializes in using universal design principles in residential remodeling/new construction plans and in kitchen and bath design/build projects. Rowan is an NCIDQ certificate holder, a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers, and is a Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist. In the past, she has served on her local boards for ASID and NKBA, and is active in promoting interior design legislation in the state of Michigan. She also has taught historic interiors and kitchen and bath design. Leslie Shankman-Cohn, ASID is the president of Eclectic Interiors, Inc., in Memphis, Tenn. and the principal of eo designs, specializing in custom designed furniture, space planning, furnishings and finishes specifications, universal design, “Aging in Style” and sustainable design issues. Recipient of multiple design awards and recognition, Shankman-Cohn is a registered interior designer in Tennessee and a member of several professional organizations, including a Professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and a board member of the Tennessee Interior Design Coalition (TIDC), which addresses legislative issues. In addition to serving on the boards of two local non-profit environmental groups, she sits on the advisory board of Stir magazine, a division of the Sherwin-Williams Paint Company. She also teaches continuing education courses for interior designers. Rebecca Stahr, ASID, CAPS, CSP is president of LifeSpring Environs, Inc., in Atlanta, Ga., a 50+ market design pioneer, specializing in guiding progressive companies with design and marketing strategies to capture the fastest growing populations of the 21st century. She has more than 20 years’ experience working with builders, developers, remodelers, health care providers, industry leaders, non-profits and consumers. A Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, and co-founder of the non-profit Universal Design Alliance, Stahr creates positive change in designing for livable communities. A frequently requested national speaker and trainer, Stahr contributes to a greater understanding of good design as competitive intelligence, well-matched for all ages and abilities. Her work has won numerous awards. Louis Tenenbaum is one of the nation’s leading authorities on aging in place. He has years of experience helping individual families to develop strategies to remain safe and comfortable in their own homes despite changes in their health. Tenebaum speaks, writes, consults and trains on these issues throughout the country. He has appeared on World News Tonight with the late Peter Jennings, the Home and Garden Television network and the premier week of The Retirement Network. He has been quoted and published in many local, national and trade publications, including Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, Business Week, the Washington Post and HousingZone.com. His book, The National Association of Home Builder’s Guide to Aging in Place, is due for release in 2007. Tenenbaum’s clients include the Horizon Foundation, the Administration on Aging, NIDRR, Department of Health and Human Services Office on Disability, AARP, Sanders Brown Center on Aging, Indiana University Institute on Aging, Disability and Community, The Kansas Occupational Therapy Association, Howard County, Maryland Department on Aging, VGM Group, The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association, AML Development, Slenker Land Corporation and many individual homeowners. Howard County, Maryland Department on Aging, VGM Group, The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association, AML Development, Slenker Land Corporation and many individual homeowners. For more information about designing for aging-in-place, visit the Aging in Place Resource Center on the ASID Web site at www.asid.org. ASID is a community of people—designers, industry representatives, educators and students—committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people’s lives. Its more than 38,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 48 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more about ASID, visitwww.asid.org.