Join Cooper Hewitt to learn more about how designers and architects are creating safe alternative spaces, including at home, for birthing and aging. Through two installations in Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial, architects Lori A. Brown and Cynthia Shonaiya explore new approaches to spaces for medical care. In this program, they will discuss the statistics, procedures, and hurdles faced when choosing to birth or age in alternative spaces during vulnerable stages of life.

Brown will discuss the “Birthing in Alabama: Designing Spaces for Reproduction” installation, which explores the history of birth in Alabama and centers on the efforts of obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Yashica Robinson to provide access to a new and expanded network of home healthcare services and alternatives to hospital births.

Shonaiya will speak about Hord Coplan Macht’s “Aging and The Meaning of Home” installation, which recreates a supportive living environment designed to support seniors with physical and mild cognitive impairments. The furnishings and lighting show how design can positively impact people’s comfort levels and enhance their abilities as they grow older.

The conversation will be moderated by writer, internist, geriatrician and palliative care physician Rachael Bedard.

‍