Join us for the second event in AHDC’s Complex Challenges, Connected Thinking series: Empowering Independence through Thoughtful Design – A Focus on Aged Care.

Hosted in Adelaide, this engaging event brings together leading experts from research, healthcare, architecture, planning and landscape design to explore how the built environment can support people to age well, remain independent, and stay connected to their communities.

As Australia's population ages, the need for inclusive, accessible and age-friendly environments has never been greater. Through a series of thought-provoking presentations, speakers will examine how design can improve quality of life across homes, neighbourhoods, aged care facilities and public spaces.

The session will explore:

Designing Culturally Safe Aged Care Environments, by David Kaunitz,  Director - Kaunitz Yeung Architecture

A case study of the Wami Kata Old Folks Home in Port Augusta, demonstrating how community-led, Country-centred design can deliver culturally safe and dignified care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.

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‘Transforming to an Age-friendly World - Models of Co-design for Creating Age-friendly Neighbourhood Parks.’ by Dr Zinan Chen, Registered Landscape Architect - Tract Consultants

Research exploring how citizen science, virtual reality and co-design methods can help shape parks and public spaces that better support ageing in place.

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Bluefield Housing and New Models for Ageing in Place, by Damian Madigan, Associate Professor of Architecture - School of Architecture and Built Environment

An innovative approach to suburban infill housing that promotes independence, multigenerational living, social connection and landscape retention.

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Supporting Safe Ageing at Home, by Kate Laver, Professor Allied Health and Active Ageing, Flinders University (a joint appointment with Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN))

Research into home hazard assessment tools and how proactive design and modifications can help older Australians remain safely in their own homes for longer.

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Therapeutic Landscapes for Health and Wellbeing, by Tara Graham-Cochrane, Principal Landscape Architect - Tract Consultants

Insights into evidence-based landscape design that supports cognitive health, social connection, independence and quality of life across senior living and aged care settings.

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Whether you are involved in healthcare, aged care, planning, architecture, design, research or policy, this event offers valuable insights into creating environments that empower people to age with dignity, independence and connection.

The event will conclude with an engaging panel discussion featuring all five presenters, providing an opportunity to bring together the diverse perspectives shared throughout the evening. Drawing on expertise across research, architecture, planning, housing, aged care and landscape design, the panel will explore the common challenges and opportunities in creating environments that support ageing well, encourage independence and foster meaningful community connections. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear the speakers reflect on key themes, discuss future directions and participate in a lively audience Q&A.

For more detailed information about each synopsis, please refer the following link: Detailed Synopsis_Adelaide July 26.docx.pdf

Places are limited – register early to secure your spot.

Event Timing

Thursday, July 23, 2026, 4:15PM - 7 PM (ACST)

Where:

Adelaide: Hodgkison Architects at 189 Wakefield St, Adelaide

CPD Information

• PC08 - Be able to implement culturally responsive and meaningful engagement processes that respect the importance of Country and reciprocal relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across architectural services.
• PC18 - Be able to apply creative imagination, design precedents, research, emergent knowledge and critical evaluation in formulating and refining concept design options, including the exploration of three dimensional form and spatial quality.
• PC26 - Be able to undertake site, cultural and contextual analysis as part of preliminary design research.
• PC29 - Be able to develop and evaluate design options in terms of the heritage, cultural and community values embodied in the site, and in relation to project requirements.
• PC34 - Communicate conceptual design proposals and associated information to client, stakeholders and communities using appropriate and culturally responsive methods appropriate to different audiences.

You are invited to register for the 2026 Australian Health Design Conference. This year we will be heading to Brisbane for a 2-day conference in October. You can find out more on our conference website:

Ticket Types and Conditions

Public and AHDC Member tickets are available at discounted early bird prices for a limited time only. All prices are inclusive of GST.

	Standard	Early Bird
Public	$1,600	$1,320
Member	$1,360	$1,200
Concession*	$1,200
One Day Ticket	$960

Early Bird

Early bird discounts are available until 31 July 2026

AHDC Members

Become an AHDC member for $220 per year for discounted conference rates, site visits, and other events throughout the year. Find out more. 

Concessions

Full time students can email events@aushdc.org.au with details of their enrolment for approval of student rates. The discount is also available for AHDC student and non-practicising members. 

Site Visits

Tickets for site visits must be purchased separately. You must be a current AHDC member to attend a site visit. Site visits will be announced closer to the event, so please subscribe to the newsletter for updates. 

Speakers and Panelists

Speakers and panelists will receive a complimentary one-day ticket, or upgrade to a full conference ticket for $960. A registration code is provided in your speaker confirmation and brief.

How to Register

Payment via credit card or debit card is required to secure your ticket. If you are an AHDC member; please login using your email and password before registering. See Member FAQ page. Please email support@aushdc.org.au if you have any issues with registration. 

Partnerships and Bulk Bookings

Becoming an AHDC Foundation Partner includes opportunities to purchase bulk conference tickets and memberships for your team. To find out more, please review our Partnership Invitation.

If your company is a Foundation Partner, please contact your sponsorship manager to organise tickets. Foundation partners receive limited complimentary conference tickets and other discounts. 

For bulk bookings, please contact support@aushdc.org.au with a list of names, emails and company details for invoicing and ticketing purposes.

Cancellation Policy

• More than 30 days - full refund processed.
• Less than 30 days - account credit only.
• Substitutions - free at any time.

To cancel, please sign into your AHDC account and navigate to your profile. Go to "Event Registrations" to submit a cancellation. Last minute cancellations will receive an account credit only. This can be used to pay for annual membership and future events and conference tickets.

Substitutions

If you can not longer attend for any reason, we encourage you to nominate someone else to participate in your place. Substitutions will be processed on the day at event registration, please bring a digital copy of the original ticket confirmation.

Other Conditions

• The preliminary program is preliminary and subject to change.
• Conference tickets cannot be shared with non-delegates or sold by third parties.
• Recording, videotaping or live steaming of the AHDC Conference is strictly prohibited.
• Photographer and videographers will be present at the event. If you do not wish to be filmed, please let them know on arrival.