Who cares what colour you present?
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Questions I have for the world around me based on what I’ve seen and experienced.
6 lessons learned giving up my smart phone for Lent
My husband jokingly issued me a challenge a little over 6 weeks ago: Could I give up my smart phone for lent?
15 Things I learned in 2014
Motherhood is the most difficult thing I've ever done. There is no possible way to fully prepare for the worry, fear, joy, pain and love that consumes the heart. No matter what you think it will be like, you will be wrong, and it's not a bad thing.
learning about loss: finding joy in sorrow
Side Note: I'm taking part in the Writing101 challenge, which means this is a break in what I usually post. Day 13's challenge relates to Day 4's Post: On day 4, you wrote a post about losing something. Today, write about finding something. Today’s twist: if you wrote day four’s post as the first in a series, … Continue reading learning about loss: finding joy in sorrow
forgiveness in conversation
side note I’m taking part in the Writing101 challenge, which means this is a break in what I usually post. Day 7′s challenge is to: Write a post based on the contrast between two things — whether people, objects, emotions, places, or something else. Today’s twist: write your post in the form of a dialogue. You … Continue reading forgiveness in conversation
the horses
side note: I'm taking part in the Writing101 challenge, which means this is a break in what I usually post. Day 6's challenge is to: Today, write a post focusing on one — or more — of the people that have recently entered your life, and tell us how your narratives intersected. Today’s twist: Turn your … Continue reading the horses
your letter – a poem
Side Note: I'm taking part in the Writing101 challenge, which means this is a break in what I usually post. Day 5's challenge is to: You stumble upon a random letter on the path. You read it. It affects you deeply, and you wish it could be returned to the person to which it’s addressed. Write … Continue reading your letter – a poem
learning about loss: the bottom falls out
Side Note: I'm taking part in the Writing101 challenge, which means this is a break in what I usually post. Day 4's challenge is to: Write about a loss: something (or someone) that was part of your life, and isn’t any more. Today’s twist: Make today’s post the first in a three-post series. Since I've … Continue reading learning about loss: the bottom falls out
Imagining a Family Centered Cancer Care Environment
Last year, I found a competition that I really wanted to do, but ran out of time. This year, I'm excited to see they're hosting another competition for a Family-Centered Cancer Care Environment. I hope to compete this year. You should to. Today's Writing101 prompt asks you to travel to a room, so I figured … Continue reading Imagining a Family Centered Cancer Care Environment
Gender Bias in Healthcare Design?
I don't run into it much, but there are still gender-bias and stereotypes in architecture. Sometimes it's from an employer (mine is not like that at all), sometimes it's from the guys on a construction site and sometimes, it's from the client. I didn't expect to find gender-bias in the design of a high-tech fertility clinic … Continue reading Gender Bias in Healthcare Design?
Refocusing my Social Media Presence | Wordsmith Studio
Hi Everyone! I'm over at Wordsmith Studio today, Refocusing my Social Media Presence. I hope you will check it out with me!
Sci-fi Architecture: what would you do with a Transformable Mobile Containment System?
The Transformable Mobile Containment System (TMCS), showcased on the Discovery Channel's Daily Planet television show, inspired me from the moment I saw the clip. (Watch it here.) A self-contained shipping container, Excalibur Canada created a self-loading, self-leveling system complete with generator for electrical, and pumps. In the video, they set up a modular healthcare unit in an hour … Continue reading Sci-fi Architecture: what would you do with a Transformable Mobile Containment System?
Olympic Celebration or Olympic Cynicism?
With all the comments floating around about the Olympics, including the tweets criticizing the Canadian athletes for the way they handled Putin's visit to Canada house, I thought I'd bring back this post I wrote in early 2010, as I watched the Olympic circus arrive in Vancouver. I'm sure I'll have more to say later, … Continue reading Olympic Celebration or Olympic Cynicism?
zoning vs building code :: what is the difference?
If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between zoning and building code, especially if you’re looking at a new site for a project, Lee Calisti has an amazing post over at his blog think|architect. It applies to Canada just as much as the United States.
Please pardon the break from my esoteric soap box to address something important that comes up often in my practice. I have slipped in a few sarcastic statements if you’d like to count them – consider it a game.
Frequently I have property owners (or soon to be property owners) contact me interested in developing property or renovating an existing building where the early discussion revolves around what will the code permit. It is common for them to mention a discussion they had with local municipal officials where something goes wrong (often horribly – no offense intended to government officials). They state something that demonstrates a misunderstanding of the difference between a local zoning ordinance and a building code. I tried to say that politely.
When I get involved and start to do research, I find that people often misunderstand the difference and it is not uncommon that decisions are…
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Healthcare in the news: Faucets, Noise Pollution and Social Networks for Mental Health
There have been some interesting articles I've seen posted online lately, pertaining to health care. 1. Hospital Faucets Pose Infection Risk Healthcare Design Magazine recently posted an article linked to a study illustrating aerators in hospital faucets increase microbes by 10 times. This reminds me of an article I saw in the Toronto Star in … Continue reading Healthcare in the news: Faucets, Noise Pollution and Social Networks for Mental Health
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