Healthcare is more than medicine, more than advanced technology, and more than clinical excellence. It’s also about the environments in which people heal, grieve, celebrate, and hope. At Aesthetics Inc., we’ve spent decades asking a fundamental question: What if every healthcare space was so warm, so caring, and so beautiful that people remembered it as a place of healing—and even love?
This article, adapted from my keynote address at the 2025 Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo (HFSE), reflects on how that question became not just a design philosophy, but my personal mission—one born from lived experience and a deep belief in the power of beauty to heal.
A Personal Story That Sparked a Movement
Decades ago, I sat in a sterile hospital room with my mother as she took her final breath. There was no beauty, no warmth—just the flicker of fluorescent lights above her. The last thing she saw wasn’t her family, but a sterile ceiling.
That moment changed me forever. It raised a burning question that has guided my entire career: How can we create healthcare environments that provide dignity, beauty, and comfort—especially in life’s hardest moments?
Of the People. By the People. For the People.
The guiding principle behind this vision can be found in Abraham Lincoln’s timeless words: “Of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Applied to healthcare design, it means:
Of the People: engaging healthcare workers, patients, and families as decision makers in how their environment feels and functions.
By the People: inviting stakeholders to participate in the creative process so that the space reflects their voice, not just our vision.
For the People: designing environments that serve the health, well-being, and dignity of every person who walks through those doors.
Too often, we focus only on efficiency, cost, or aesthetics as decoration. But when we design spaces that people truly love, something powerful happens: environments become part of the healing process itself.
Four Pillars That Guide Transformative Design
Throughout my journey, four core pillars have shaped both my company and my philosophy:
Never Stop Learning – Every failure, every challenge, every patient story is a classroom.
Design Beauty That Moves People – Beauty is not an accessory. It is medicine for the soul.
Build Relationships That Last – True innovation comes from collaboration, not isolation.
Lead with Courage and Heart – Without courage, no new path is forged. Without heart, leadership is hollow.
These are not abstract ideas. They are lived truths that have guided our work at Aesthetics, Inc.
From Art Gallery to Healthcare Design Leader
My path into healthcare was not linear. I began as a potter and gallery owner in La Jolla, California. By chance, a healthcare designer walked into my gallery and asked if I could create an art program for a clinic.
I didn’t have a blueprint, but I had a belief: art could change the patient experience.
That first project grew into a calling. By 1979, I founded Aesthetics Inc., dedicated to transforming healthcare spaces through art, design, and meaningful human experiences. Over time, we expanded from art consulting into a full-service healthcare design firm, working alongside architects, designers, and healthcare leaders.
Our mission has never been about decoration—it’s about transformation.
Why “Loved” Matters in Healthcare Design
When we think about hospitals, we often think about safety, cleanliness, and efficiency. Rarely do we ask: Will people love this place?
Yet neuroscience shows us that beauty and positive environments change brain chemistry. Environments we love release dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin—the same chemicals connected to human connection and healing.
When people love a place, they remember it, they protect it, and they return to it with trust.
That is why designing for “love” should be a core healthcare design standard, not an afterthought.
The Power of Unexpected Experiences
Healthcare doesn’t always need grand gestures to transform patient and family experiences. Sometimes, it’s the simplest, most unexpected touches that matter most.
Think of the warm chocolate chip cookie you get at check-in at a DoubleTree hotel. It may not be the world’s best cookie, but because it’s unexpected, it becomes memorable. In healthcare, we can create those same moments of joy.
A single flower in an exam room that makes a patient smile.
Gentle music playing in a hospital parking lot, easing tension before walking inside.
A mural created by patients, staff, and community members turns walls into symbols of belonging.
These moments remind us that healing is not only clinical—it’s also emotional and relational.
Designing With People, Not Just For Them
Early in my career, I overheard nurses dismissing a hospital remodel by saying, “Six months from now, we’ll be back to doing things the old way.”
That was a wake-up call. I realized that no matter how beautiful a facility looks, it will fail if the people using it are not engaged in the process.
Since then, co-creation has become a cornerstone of our work. We invite staff, patients, and families into the design process—through workshops, visioning sessions, and community collaborations. The result? Spaces that don’t just function better but are cherished because they carry the imprint of those who use them.
When we design with people, we create spaces that feel like they belong to them.
Case Study: Penn State Health – Building Belonging Through Art
When Penn State Health set out to design a new hospital in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, they asked a vital question: How can we create a sense of belonging for an increasingly diverse community?
Together with their Director of Humanities, we formed a multicultural art committee and specifically invited artists of color to apply. The results were profound: over 25% of the art collection represented diverse voices, compared to the typical 6% in healthcare.
Patients noticed. Families noticed. Staff noticed. One patient said, “I’ve never seen someone who looks like me on these walls before.”
This was not just art. It was representation. It was belonging. It was love.
Community at the Heart: Montreal Children’s Hospital
Another powerful example comes from Montreal Children’s Hospital. When asked to create a “welcome” statement, we didn’t just design signage—we invited the community to participate.
Working with Mural Mosaic, patients, families, nurses, doctors, donors, and even Girl Scouts painted individual tiles. When assembled, they formed a breathtaking 15-by-30-foot mural of the Montreal skyline and a mother-and-child whale.
It wasn’t just a piece of art. It was a community heartbeat on the wall. When unveiled, it was celebrated across media outlets, but more importantly, it became a symbol of collective love and care.
Mentorship and the Gift of Vision
No journey is walked alone. Along the way, I’ve been blessed with mentors who shaped my vision.
Leland Kaiser reminded me that architecture and design are never neutral—they either support healing or create barriers to it.
Dr. Wayne Ruga, founder of the Healthcare Facilities Symposium, introduced me to the concept of Generative Space—places that get better over time because they are loved.
Visionary leaders like Susan Garrison and Jack Weiner trusted in bold ideas, co-creating spaces that not only served but inspired.
Their lessons live in every project Aesthetics takes on. And they remind me that part of leadership is not just designing buildings—it’s nurturing people and ideas.
Why Loved Spaces Last
Buildings age. Materials fade. Technology becomes outdated. But spaces that are loved endure because people fight to preserve them.
When healthcare environments reflect local culture, community identity, and human dignity, they transcend function. They become cherished places—part of a community’s collective memory.
And that’s why I believe the future of healthcare design must be guided by one key principle: Create spaces that are loved.
A Call to Leaders, Designers, and Change Agents
Healthcare leaders and design professionals face immense pressure: balancing budgets, integrating technology, and meeting operational demands. But amid these challenges lies a profound opportunity.
We can design spaces that don’t just meet standards—they set new ones.
We can create environments that don’t just heal bodies—they nourish souls.
We can lead with both head and heart—so that every patient, caregiver, and family member feels seen, safe, and valued.
The next time you walk into a healthcare space, ask yourself:
Does this place reflect love?
Does it honor the people it serves?
Will it be remembered, not just for the care it provides, but for the dignity and beauty it offers?
FAQs: Designing Healthcare Spaces That Are Loved
Q1: What does it mean to create a healthcare space that is “loved”?
It means designing environments that go beyond efficiency and aesthetics, focusing on emotional well-being, dignity, and human connection.
Q2: How can hospitals involve staff and patients in design?
Through visioning workshops, surveys, art collaborations, and co-creation sessions where their voices directly influence outcomes.
Q3: Isn’t “love” too abstract to measure in design?
Not at all. Neuroscience shows that loved environments trigger positive brain chemistry, reduce stress, and improve healing outcomes.
Q4: What role does art play in healthcare design?
Art transforms spaces from clinical to human. It fosters belonging, reflects community culture, and contributes to emotional healing.
Q5: How do loved spaces impact long-term sustainability?
Spaces that are loved are maintained, preserved, and cherished—ensuring longevity far beyond their initial design cycle.
Conclusion: Our Responsibility to Create Loved Spaces
We are not just designing buildings. We are shaping experiences, communities, and legacies.
When healthcare spaces are loved, patients feel calmer, caregivers feel supported, and families feel dignity even in the hardest moments.
This is not just about design. It’s about purpose. It’s about responsibility. And it’s about creating places that are not only remembered—but cherished.
