Designing for Wellness

Event Summary: 
Whether it’s a college dorm or a forensic psychiatric facility, the design choices we make have a direct, measurable impact on wellness outcomes — cognitive, emotional, and social. This event brings together education and healthcare perspectives to explore how the built environment influences health, learning, and human potential.
 

Who Should Attend:
Campus Planning, Residential Life, Student Health and Counseling, Facilities Management, Architects, Designers, Public Health Faculty or Administrators, Mental Health and Wellness Coordinators, and other professionals interested in current trends in wellness-focused design.
 

Workshop Agenda: 

• Event Registration | 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. 
  Check in at the registration table upon arrival to receive your event materials and name badge. Please arrive early to allow time for registration before the program begins.
   

• Guided Tours – Health & Counseling Services Center | 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. 
  Start your day with a guided tour of this thoughtfully designed facility, showcasing wellness-focused design in action.
  Tour space is limited; please register early to reserve your preferred time slot.

  • Two tour time slots are available: 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
     

• Welcome & Opening Remarks - Salvatore Renda, Chief Project Manager-Upstate Construction, DASNY | 9:30 – 9:45 a.m.  

• Keynotes | 9:45 – 10:30 a.m.
   

• Built for Better: Advancing Well-Being Through Thoughtful Design – Higher Education | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
  Discover how colleges and universities are reimagining residence halls, learning spaces, and recreation centers to support student wellness. 
  Panelists:
  • Mary Kate Young, Principal of Architecture +
  • Margaret Carney, Cornell University Architect 
  • Joyce Dewitt-Parker, Assistant Vice President for Health & Well-being at the University at Albany 
  • Moderator: Joanna Yackel, Chief Project Manager, Upstate Design & Construction DASNY
     
• Break | 11:15 – 11:30 a.m.
   
• Mental Hygiene & Forensic Facilities: Purposeful Places: Creating Healing Spaces in Psychiatric and Forensic Settings | 11:30 – 12:15 p.m.
  Explore the impact of architectural design in psychiatric and forensic environments – supporting both safety and healing.
  Panelists:
  • Kevin Murrett, AIA, President of Architectural Resources
  • Sara Wengert, Principal at Architecture+ 
  • Marshall Vitale, Director of Administrative Support Services, New York State Office of Mental Health
  • Moderator: Annette Duran, Director, Downstate Design & Construction DASNY
     
• Break | 12:15 - 12:30 p.m. 
   
• Lunch & Interactive Q&A with Panelists | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
  A collaborative, cross-sector conversation that bridges education and healthcare. Attendees are encouraged to participate and share insights.
   
• Networking Session | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
  Close the day with time for informal conversations and professional connections across design, planning, facilities, and wellness sectors.