With an aging population and rising chronic diseases, homes are becoming primary care hubs. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized the challenge of ensuring safe and reliable care in homes. Current home health technologies offer fragmented solutions. By integrating medical, digital and physical infrastructure, homes can better support health. FDAs Home as a Health Care Hub initiative, facilitated by HKS, reimagines the home as a nexus of health and wellness. The team leverages evidence and stakeholder engagement to understand needs of people with diabetes. At the core of this initiative is the Idea Lab, that includes discovery documents synthesizing clinical, technology and housing insights, along with empathy-building tools, and Lilypad(TM) Virtual Reality platform to illuminate the lived experiences of those with diabetes. This work emphasizes collaboration among designers, technology innovators and health providers to create homes for seamless, integrated experiences.
UPALI NANDA, PhD, Assoc. AIA, EDAC, ACHE
Global Sector Director, Innovation
HKS
Dr. Upali Nanda is EVP and Global Sector Director for Innovation at HKS, an international architectural firm where she oversees a range of innovation practices that work within, through and beyond the built environment for meaningful impact. Prior to her current role she served as the global research director for the firm and as the Executive Director for the non-profit Center for Advanced Design Research and Education. Dr. Nanda also teaches “HealthByDesign” as Associate Professor of Practice at the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning at University of Michigan
Deborah Wingler, PhD, EDAC, LSSYB
Global Practice Director, Applied Research
HKS
Dr. Deborah Wingler’s research focuses on improving the patient and staff experience. As Global Practice Director of Applied Research for HKS, Deborah collaborates with research and design teams to develop and implement research initiatives that drive innovation and achieve measurable impact across the healthcare practice and firm, globally. Through her research, Deborah has had the opportunity to work with some of the most forward-thinking Fortune 500 companies, healthcare organizations, manufacturers, and design firms in the industry to support their respective research agendas. Both in practice and academia, her research has focused on the integration of research into the design process.
Rutali Joshi, PhD, EDAC, LSSYB
Research Lead, Health
HKS
Dr. Rutali Joshi is the Research Lead for Health at HKS, driven by a passion for evidence-based, data-driven design and dedicated to translating research into impactful, actionable insights for the design industry. Holding a PhD and MS in Architecture and Health from Clemson University, along with a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Mumbai University, she brings a global perspective and depth of expertise to her work. Rutali specializes in creating design solutions that prioritize safety and elevate human experiences across healthcare environments.
Nethra Ram Mohan, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP
Director of Immersive Experiences
HKS
With over 20 years of experience in integrating innovative technologies to improve and advance the architectural design process, Nethra weaves design concepts into emotive, engaging and immersive user experiences. As the Director of Immersive Experiences, Nethra leads the charge in strategic planning and implementation of high impact immersive technologies and visualization deliverables across multiple projects.
This content will not be available until 06/09/2025 at 8:00 AM (EDT)
