Fallon Lebedowicz, EDAC, associate, CO Architects (Los Angeles)

Fallon Lebedowicz began laying the foundation for a career in healthcare design while completing her master’s thesis at the University of Southern California. There, she focused on the research and design of sensory-integrated therapy clinics, a niche division of occupational therapy that relies on modifying the physical environment for the treatment of sensory processing issues.

Drawn to the desire to contribute meaningful design, she joined CO Architects in 2014 and soon collaborated on the design of a senior living community before embarking on her first healthcare project, the 154,000-square-foot Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla, Calif. Lebedowicz played a pivotal role, guiding the project from schematic design through construction to post-occupancy, while using her knowledge of sensory design to push the client to new ideas, including installing windows in a CT room to bring natural daylight into the space to help alleviate patient anxiety and stress during procedures. She also worked with the project team to develop a custom ergonomic and universal charting station for the operating rooms.

Following her success on the project, she earned the opportunity to serve as team leader for a 355,000-square-foot National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, expected to open in October 2024. In addition to individual projects, she’s channeling her passion for research to lead CO Architects’ pilot initiative for post-occupancy evaluations using the Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion as the first research site. Additionally, she’s advocating for the creation of a pre- and post-occupancy evaluation for all of CO Architects’ healthcare projects so that project goals and outcomes can be tracked and measured to help guide future projects and research initiatives.

By combining her passion for research and evidence-based design with a focus on patient-centered solutions, Lebedowicz is driving meaningful design that will have an impact for years to come.