DFD in the running for APAC Eldercare Innovation Award!
The Xmas decorations have only just been packed away and we are already seeing the Easter bunnies on the shelves! I cannot believe that February is almost over and it will soon be Easter.
Wow what a start it has been to 2018. We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we have been shortlisted as one of the finalists for the 6th Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards 2018 to be held in Singapore in the category of Best Silver Interior Design for our work at the Amaroo Buckley Caring Centre, Gosnells. Congratulations to all my team who continually excel and deliver over and above for all of our clients. Gary Batt Architects have also been shortlisted in the Best Silver Architecture category.
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de Fiddes Design and GBA Architects in the running for International Recognition
Congratulations to de Fiddes Design and Gary Batt Architects!
We awoke to some fantastic news this morning with both de Fiddes design and Gary Batt Associates Architects announced as finalists in the 6th Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards (APAC) 2018 for the recently completed Amaroo Buckley Care Facility in Gosnells, Perth.
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Moving with the times
Happy New Year from all the team!! We hope everyone had a great holiday and Santa was kind to you all.
As we embark into 2018 we reflect on a saying by T.S. Elliot “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice”. How relevant is that in our industry? Resident cohorts and expectations are changing and the product we deliver needs to move with the times.
As a company we are constantly scouring not only Australia but the world for the latest products, technologies and advancements suitable for our industry.
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Talking Points
How fantastic are these botanical prints by Materialised Fabrics and Sparkk Studio!
Wallpaper has the ability to transform a space before your eyes. With a broad range of patterns the design options are endless as print technologies continue to push the boundaries and forego the less traditional for interesting new applications of decorative designs that aid in wayfinding and can be a poignant talking point!
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Does Re-designing Workplaces Attract Staff?
Do funky design features lure skilled staff to your workplace? Not necessarily reports Libby Sanders.
People are searching for quiet or time out spaces in the face of rising work related stress. With up to 49% of the Australian workforce experiencing this situation, several organisations have recognised the need for zen-like zones and responded accordingly to support their staff to recover from cognitive fatigue and to reduce stress.
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Beetle-Inspired Acoustic Panels by MUT Design for Sancal
It was extremely difficult to decide on which product I would focus on this month as there were many to choose from!
As we are highlighting the importance of quiet spaces in our knowledge section I thought it appropriate to showcase a new product called “Beetle”. No relation to the Beatles, although the product does bring in a sense of play.Mut Studio teamed up with Sancal in Spain and they have designed a range of acoustic panels that mimic the form of a beetle.
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Happy Holidays.. Time for a Break!
After such a busy year we are embracing the end of year with open arms as we take a break and rejuvenate.
Photographer Tadao Cern captures the essence of this flawlessly with his endearing photographs capturing a ‘less- than-perfect’ but beautifully content beachgoers.
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Do They Know It's Christmas?
Christmas can be a time of festivity, family gatherings, cheer and goodwill. Equally it can be a time of stress, confusion and sadness. This can be said for all of us and not just older people or those living in aged care facilities. Selecting suitable gifts for a person living in residential care can be tricky so consider gifting sensory experiences – massages, manicures, pedicures or animal visits. Or even the most valuable gift of all – your time.
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The Best Companion. Therapeutic, Interactive Pets
Being an absolute pet lover, even one of our team members is a beautiful furry friend called Beau; I thought the final product for the year could be all about companion pets. What better present to buy someone living in residential aged care!
Companion pets vary tremendously in price and range from Paro, the therapeutic robot which has been around now for more than a decade, through to the companion puppies. Paro of course is the most expensive but is quite an advanced interactive robot
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A look at 2017
2017 has been an incredible year for us all here at de Fiddes Design and whilst it has gone so fast (they say time flies when you are having fun) we have certainly packed a lot in to the year.
Christmas as we all know is celebrated on the 25th December every year. It is a religious festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and traditionally is characterised by beautifully decorated Xmas trees, mince pies, presents and a turkey dinner. It is hopefully a time for families to come together, eat, drink and be merry. Quite often it is a time for reflection. This year I asked all the team to reflect on the year and to let me know of anything I could add into the news section for our final newsletter for 2017.
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ACSA WA Christmas Breakfast 2017
It was a delight to attend the ACSA WA Christmas Breakfast last week alongside Sam Neylon our clinical director. With fantastic views of City beach along with great food and company the breakfast was a tremendous success and a pleasure to attend!
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Dementia Friendly Flooring. What you need to know
It is widely known that people’s vision naturally changes as they age with reduced visual function and performance.
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Mount art with ease. INTRODUCING HANGSMART!
Most people enjoy viewing art and quite often residents will have many pieces of artwork or photographs they would like to install in their bedroom.
There is always the struggle between maintenance and personalization!
So what are the options?
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A Sensory Escape
Who doesn’t love a Bali escape? Being immersed in the rural Balinese landscape surrounded by paddy fields for a couple of days is an assault to the senses in the best possible way.
Everyday was a changing backdrop of beauty.
These lotus flowers revealed their full glory on our last day, a fitting end to a sensory experience.
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A Time for Reflection
Taking a break from the “work” of your work is so important as it helps all the team get a fresh perspective on what we are doing and why we are doing it! Sitting in the same chair, in the same office can keep us from fresh thinking and news ideas, so we packed our bags and headed off to Bali for 4 days.
Whilst we have mini conferences yearly, every 3 years we plan a major company conference and it was important that we immersed ourselves in our senses.
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Artist Abdul-Rahman Abdullah on collaborative artwork for Rosewood Care Facility
Perth Artist, Abdul–Rahman Abdullah, was happy to chat about his contemporary artwork installations following a fabulous opening of our most recent project, Rosewood Aged Care Facility.
The collaborative interior artworks and exterior sculpture complement the furniture and décor and create warmth to the building giving it a sense of home and identity.
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Opening of Rosewood Aged Care Facility
Rosewood Aged Care Facility, Leederville has opened their doors! Our Design Director, Erin Taylor attended the opening of Rosewood in an event celebrating the efforts of all those involved.
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Philosophy of Design
This month I delivered a talk at the Alzheimer’s WA Symposium called “Not one size fits all. How do we create Meaningful Environments? ” Design, like the industry, is changing. Designing environments that are too sterile, too structured and not real just doesn’t work.
Sensory Design is proclaimed as the new “Philosophy of Design” but it goes so much further than just sensory rooms. If you would like any further information please feel free to contact me and we can catch up for a coffee and a chat.
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Review: Food For Thought
Food can be a great source of joy in our lives particularly when shared with friends and loved ones. We recently come across Maggie Beers latest cook book ‘Maggie’s Recipe for Life’ written in collaboration with Professor Ralph Martins with the suggestion that good food can reduce your chances of Alzheimer’s and other lifestyle diseases. Informative and packed with delicious recipes to enjoy and within our four seasons, this book could heal your body and your soul.
We also came across some remarkable images by Hargreaves Levin & Caitlin Levin and we thought the pears, potatoes, sage, rosemary, brussel sprouts, persimmons, shallots, nutmeg, mandarins & cranberries was an appropriate way to celebrate Maggie’s idea of the beauty of good food for life.
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Innovative Wayfinding by Google!
Signage and Wayfinding are key components of any large building and none more so than in aged care and retirement.
We touched on the importance of wayfinding and the latest studies in our January and February newsletter.
Google have installed the most amazing signage and wayfinding scheme throughout their Kirkland Campus. Interestingly, Larry Page, one of the founders of Google is a strong believer in the Montessori Method of learning and working, which emphasizes making use of all of the five senses and it was this ideology that inspired the design.
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