EP 02444 November 2025 · 38 min
Can Architecture Really Heal? Discover the Impact with Kim Kennedy
37:48
About this conversation
Healthcare architecture is not just about technical compliance. It affects dignity, treatment, safety, mental health and how people experience some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Stephen Drew speaks with Kim Kennedy, Principal at Parkin Architects in Ottawa, about healthcare architecture, mental health facilities, specialist project knowledge and what it takes to build a career in this demanding sector.
The conversation covers:
How Kim moved into healthcare architecture
Why mental health facilities need careful, human design thinking
How healthcare architecture has evolved as a specialist discipline
Topics in this episode
Transcript
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Opening of the conversation
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- · Stephen Drew
Stephen Drew
Hello everyone and welcome to this special. Now I'm based in London. However, we are going transatlantic to have this discussion. Now in the uk, if you've been unfortunate or fortunate enough to be taken care of, the healthcare system, that's the NHS. However, it's a big world out there and we are interested in Architecture.
So apart from roles in the UK today, we're gonna talk about healthcare overseas in different countries, what that looks
Parkin Architects projects
The work behind the conversation.
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada · 2021
Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addiction
A 217,000 square foot LEED Gold healing centre in Coquitlam combines recovery units, natural light and culturally grounded spaces.
View project →Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada · 2023
Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre
A 134,000 square foot Halifax outpatient centre combines clinical capacity with a double-height glazed Great Hall.
View project →
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Roles in this world
Live Architecture and Healthcare roles on the jobs board right now.
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