My passion for architecture and design began at age 12 when my parents decided to remodel our house in Mexico. My mom noticed my interest in selecting the materials and understanding how the floor plans worked and allowed me to sit in on meetings with the architect. In what was one of my first design decisions, I persuaded my parents to make my room and closet a little larger while making my brother’s bedroom smaller.
Seeing my ideas become a reality helped me realize my calling and led me to attend the University of Houston College of Architecture and Design. After graduating in 2015, I spent a year volunteering in Mexico with local charity Hogar de los Ancianos, which is operated by nuns and takes in homeless seniors or seniors from impoverished families. My work included helping in the kitchen, escorting residents on walks, sitting and listening to residents’ stories, participating in dance parties, and more. The experience changed my life.
The culture of Mexico traditionally considers it a family’s responsibility and a sign of respect to care for elders at home instead of sending them away, which is considered disrespectful. But during my volunteering, I saw the love and kindness that the nuns put into their work—and I also saw how much families still cared about their loved ones during their visits to the community. I thought of my own grandparents and realized then that having a loved one move into senior living doesn’t mean their family members had given up on them but the contrary. It showed they were humble enough to understand they couldn’t provide the care needed and instead found a place that gives the love and comfort deserved. I began to understand that by creating amazing spaces, I could influence the way different cultures view senior living in places where such communities are often not appreciated.
As I completed my volunteering, I began planning my career. At the time, I didn’t know senior living was a specific sector of architecture; I just knew I needed a job. I found an opening at a small firm in Dallas that, to my joyous surprise, specialized in senior living design. I interviewed a few days later and was hired by D2 Architecture, which is now a part of the HKS family.
Thanks to many colleagues and supporters, I’ve learned so much during the past five years. Working on different sizes of projects and care types has taught me that no matter how affordable or expensive the community, designing for seniors and their caregivers is always the priority. I’ve also become increasingly passionate about what senior living is and can become.
Whenever I go back to Mexico, I can’t stop talking about the firm’s senior living projects to my friends and family. And when they come to Dallas to visit, I purposely drive through some of our projects (Ventana by Buckner, Legacy at Midtown Park, CC Young) to give them a more positive perspective about what senior living can be. I’m proud to say that I’ve changed a few minds—including my parents, who now say that they want to live in a senior living community when the time comes.
If you’re interested in sharing the story of what ignited your passion for senior living design, contact Executive Editor Anne DiNardo at [email protected].
