Kimball International Announces Fifth Season of Their Alternative Design Podcast
JASPER, IN., March 17, 2025 – Kimball International is thrilled to launch Season 5 of their Alternative Design podcast. This season, Alternative Design continues to push the boundaries of design by uncovering unexpected forces shaping the built environment, from the future of work to the intersection of housing, healthcare, and human. New episodes will be released monthly, plus occasional bonus episodes.
The first episode, released today, explores a major shift in healthcare where patients are more empowered than ever. This critical conversation about the home as a healing partner discusses how the home can actively support health and well-being. As wearables and smart technology empower people to track their own health in real-time, the question becomes: if healthcare is expanding beyond hospitals, why isn’t our built environment keeping pace?
To explore this topic, host Kaelynn Reid welcomes two visionary guests who provide a lively and compelling dialog:
Dr. Upali Nanda, Global Sector Director for Innovation at HKS, shares how design, technology, and policy are converging to rethink the home as a space for healing. She discusses the groundbreaking collaboration between HKS and the FDA, highlighting how VR is being used to immerse designers in the lived realities of chronic illness in affordable housing. She reveals insights that could shape the future of healthcare design.
Dr. Andrew Boozary, primary care physician, policy practitioner, researcher, and founding Executive Director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine, discusses Dunn House. Prescribed as part of patient care, Dunn House is a first-of-its-kind initiative where a hospital campus has dedicated space for permanent social housing. His work proves that stable housing isn’t just a social issue, it’s a medical necessity.
“We’re rethinking the role of home, not just as a shelter, but as an active participant in our well-being,” said Kaelynn Reid, Design Futurist and Podcast Host at Kimball International. “This season, we’re looking beyond the obvious and asking how design can drive real change?”
Season 5 will continue to push the edges of design thinking, diving into how environments impact health, behavior, and human potential. From reimagining public space as a workplace to questioning the future of multi-use environments, the Alternative Design podcast is where foresight meets design disruption.
Listeners can tune in on their favorite podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Learn more about the Alternative Design podcast >
About Kimball International
Kimball International is a leading commercial furnishings company with deep expertise in the Workplace, Health, and Hospitality markets. We combine our bold entrepreneurial spirit, a history of craftsmanship, and today’s design-driven thinking alongside a commitment to our culture of caring and lasting connections with our customers, employees, and communities. Since 1950, our brands have seized opportunities to customize solutions into personalized experiences, turning ordinary spaces into meaningful places. Our family of brands includes Kimball, National, Etc., Interwoven, Kimball Hospitality, D’style, and David Edward. Kimball International, based in Jasper, Indiana, is a business unit of HNI Corporation.