Danielle Kadtke

Interior + Spatial Design

Integrative Medical Clinic:
Healthcare Design for an East Meets West Model
The inspiration for this project comes from my own personal journey with chronic pain and our current medical care system. I was diagnosed with chronic migraine at 10 years old, experiencing all of the classic debilitating symptoms as well as the rare addition of temporary blindness. At the age of 12, I was diagnosed with another chronic pain disorder where my knees do not sit properly in their track and dislocate, resulting in two years of physical therapy to relearn how to walk. For both of these conditions, doctors told me I would live in pain for the rest of my life, reliant on pain medication. The only other option being invasive surgeries which would not even be available to me until my health deteriorated to that level. That has been my reality for the last decade of my life until I sought out alternative therapies. My own personal experience has made me passionate about Integrative Medicine and the struggle of chronic pain.

As a designer, I believe that through research and the psychology of design, one can create empathetic spaces that influence one's life, attitudes, and health. My philosophy of design has guided me in every project, and is especially true in my Capstone presentation.