NEWS
Architect’s personal journey described
Former DiMHN Board member and highly experienced architect, Alessandro (‘Alex’) Caruso has recently written and had published an interesting and reflective book recounting his personal and professional journey – from his time as an office junior at his father’s architectural business in southern Sicily, to his move to a new life in the UK, where he established, and has since run, a successful architectural practice with a strong focus on healthcare. The Network’s editor, Jonathan
Baillie, writes: In Design & Meditation – a story of his life so far – Alex Caruso recounts how a motorbike accident in Sicily during his university days left him so badly injured that he spent several months on an orthopaedic trauma centre ward. His hospital stay – in noisy, poorly lit, and distinctly untherapeutic surroundings – changed his thinking and outlook, and saw him develop ‘new empathic skills’, plus an appreciation of what patients go through during hospital care – lessons he has make good use of throughout his architectural career. He also discusses the challenges of moving to England; despite a sound education and an appetite for learning, he arrived speaking and writing little English – ‘failings’ met with disdain by some he encountered. He nevertheless gained valuable experience at several architectural practices, and with the support of his wife,
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Amelia – who he had met while she was teaching English in Italy, went on to establish Alessandro Caruso Architecture & Interiors in Beverley in Yorkshire. Driven by his passion and enthusiasm, the practice has flourished – one of its central tenets being a belief in building- long-term relationships with everyone from clients and consultants to contractors, and gained a reputation for the quality of its work, with its portfolio encompassing a number of acute, care home, and mental healthcare projects. Written in an open, engaging
style, Alex Caruso’s book delves deeply into the learnings and lessons – personal and professional, that an interesting and fulfilling life have provided. Apparent throughout are his desire to design buildings that have a genuinely transformative impact on their users – harnessing elements such as biophilia, colour and light, and taking into account human physiology, anatomy, and psychology.
A deeply personal,
honest, and well-written book. To buy a copy, visit
https://tinyurl.com/3bc8t6ys
Call to the 2024 AGM
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Design in Mental Health Network Ltd will be held on the 20th November 2024. The meeting will convene at 14:00, and will be held virtually. Under section 324 of the Companies Act 2006 and article 19 of the Articles of Association of the Design in Mental Health Ltd, a member who may not be able to attend in person may appoint a proxy. To attend the meeting please register on the Eventbrite event
page by 5pm on the day before the AGM, and an invitation to the meeting will be forwarded to you. For more details, and to register, visit
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dimhn-agm- tickets-1013664556977
THE NETWORK | NOVEMBER 2024
hygenius.healthcare/mental-health 7
A new level of risk awareness and reduction with Hygenius. Stronger furniture, safer space designs.
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