The Architecture and Design Network (ADN) continues its 2019/2020 June Freeman lecture series with a lecture entitled “A Place Called H___: Community Dialogues on Aging and Homelessness” a panel presentation moderated with Jill Floyd.

It will begin at 6pm tonight following a 5:30pm reception. The reception and conversation will take place at the Windgate Center for Art+Design on the UA Little Rock campus.

Jill serves as a project manager and director of community outreach for CDI Contractors in Little Rock, where she manages commercial construction and leads initiatives to develop young women’s interests in science, technology, engineering and math. In partnership with AARP and the Nomad Design Challenge , Jill will present findings from her research on co-housing and lead a panel discussion on designing inclusive communities. The panel will discuss issues surrounding living and community conditions for both ageing and homeless citizens.

Jill is currently a Presidential Leadership Scholar pursuing research focused on creating affordable co-housing communities for senior citizens of modest means. Nine years ago, her mother died. Then nine months later, her father had a stroke. Floyd said she moved from Detroit back to Little Rock to live with her father. It was obvious her father’s home couldn’t accommodate a wheelchair or walker as there were stairs and narrow hallways. “I would literally have to gut the whole house,” she said. Jill said her father’s income put him out of range for financial assistance, as many blue-collar workers find themselves in a position where they don’t qualify for assistance but they can’t afford the medical care they need.

Floyd says her project as a Presidential Leadership Scholar involved research into a type of housing that has been implemented for the elderly in Europe. Tenants have their own bedrooms, but they share other space, such as a living room, with other residents. They have to interact with others, which keeps them from being lonely. “What if we could create a place for seniors to go, not to die, but to live?” Floyd said. “The issue is funding and making it sustainable.”

Much of Jill’s 15 year career has been split between the Construction and Manufacturing Industries in roles such as Project Management, Procurement and Quality. She also served a stint as the Executive Director of a non-profit she founded aimed at teaching financial literacy skills. Jill holds a BS Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and a MS/MBA in Operations Management from Penn State University.

ADN lectures are free and open to the public. No reservations are required. Supporters of ADN include the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, the University of Arkansas Little Rock Windgate Center of Art + Design, the Central Section of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Arkansas Art Center and friends in the community. For additional information contact ArchDesignNetwork@gmail.com.