I worked with Lilliana Alvarado of UPHEALING during the renovation of a home, within a hospital, for cancer patients who are going through treatment and need to be close to their doctors and available for regular treatments.
This project was a challenging achievement as there were many regulations to consider for the design due to its location within a hospital and still have the overall feel of the House be one of warmth and comfort. Lilliana discussed with our team what we hoped to achieve with the renovation and presented a design that would offer the guests of the House the comfort and peace that they needed to relax after difficult appointments and treatments. Lilliana took into consideration the feedback we received from prior guests, our desire to honor the founder of our Foundation and his parents, who lost their lives to cancer and for whom the House exists to memorialize. The amount of detail that Lilliana had to consider was immense. It was a large space with many rooms, each of which needed individual attention with varied requirements and needs. Lilliana accomplished a great deal of work, all while showing grace, calmness and a desire to ensure we were happy with the outcome.
The finished space was beautiful, meaningful, peaceful and very comfortable. The cancer patients and families who stay at the house state how they feel it’s their home-away-from-home. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the completed house and the reaction of those that use it. Lilliana and UPHEALING were an absolute pleasure to work with and I recommend her regularly to others. She is incredibly talented, thoughtful in her approach, kind and warm. I wouldn’t think twice about who I would hire to do a similar job or who I’d first recommend to others. The work that Lilliana and UPHEALING did offers the community peace of mind during a very difficult time, which allows patients to focus on healing. We have received countless comments about how patients feel they can relax after treatment in a space within a hospital that feels more like a 5-star hotel. Lastly, I would say that Lilliana should be the person that people in the design world look to as the pinnacle of what design in hospitals, hospitality and senior living spaces should be. Lilliana is, simply put, amazing!