Hord Coplan Macht is participating in “Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial” at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum this fall. The installation “Aging and The Meaning of Home” recreates a supportive living environment designed to support seniors with physical and mild cognitive impairments. The furnishings and lighting show how design can positively impact people’s comfort levels and enhance their abilities as they grow older.
Opening Nov. 2 at Cooper Hewitt, the exhibition features 25 debut commissions that illustrate the ways design is embedded in contemporary life. Ranging from domestic objects to built environments to social systems, the exhibition considers home as an expansive framework with varying cultural and environmental contexts, and “making home” as a universal design practice. Organized in collaboration with Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the seventh iteration of Cooper Hewitt’s Triennial series will be on view through Aug. 10, 2025.
Installed throughout the Andrew and Louise Carnegie Mansion, the exhibition explores design’s role in shaping the physical and emotional experiences of home across the U.S., U.S. territories and tribal nations. The museum floors are organized by familiar interactions—“Going Home” (ground and first floor), “Seeking Home” (second floor) and “Building Home” (third floor)—interpreted in 25 installations by designers, architects, artists and their collaborators from across the nation.
Over the full course of “Making Home,” Cooper Hewitt’s dynamic public programming will expand on the topics of the exhibition with talks, performances, screenings and hands-on workshops. Programs will invite all audiences—adult, family, teen and visitors with disabilities—to explore the contemporary U.S. experience from cultural, environmental and historical vantage points. The quarterly “Making Home Saturday Series,” launching Nov. 2, will feature two in-person program segments, including special guests, curators and Triennial participants. Programs will take place at Cooper Hewitt and expand beyond the museum to off-site programs at select organizations across New York City, as well as the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C
Hord Coplan Macht, “Building Home” section (third floor)
Aging and the Meaning of Home recreates a supportive living environment for seniors, presented through the voices of two fictionalized residents with different needs as they age. This immersive space is an interactive, stimulating environment with architectural and interior design elements that are research-tested innovations calibrated to support seniors, including those faced with physical and mild cognitive impairments. Drawing on their design expertise, the HCM team also consulted with professionals specializing in aging, dementia, public health, and well-being. This full-scale installation features a common area where residents can experience daylight and the natural environment. The room is equipped with opportunities for multi-sensory engagement and choices about social activities for residents to engage in. The selection of seating, furnishings, and lighting show how design can positively impact our comfort levels and enhance our abilities in the spaces we call home as we grow older.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Architecture and Interior Design by Cynthia Shonaiya, Duncan Walker, Jerielle Ward, Rhonda Wyskiel, Angela Schmitz, Rebecca Carle. Furniture by Kwalu. Floor Covering by Mannington. Circadian Lighting by Lighting Environments. Backlit Window Panels by Omnify. Tovertafel and Idem Smart Clock by Eugeria. Memory Boxes by RussFab. Wall protection by Inpro. Fireplace by Net Zero Fire. Persona Consultation by Dr. Monte Harris & Lieutenant Colonel Iva M Grahek, US Army, Retired.
ABOUT COOPER HEWITT, SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM
Cooper Hewitt is America’s design museum. Inclusive, innovative and experimental, the museum’s dynamic exhibitions, education programs, master’s program, publications and online resources inspire, educate and empower people through design. An integral part of the Smithsonian Institution—the world’s largest museum, education and research complex—Cooper Hewitt is located on New York City’s Museum Mile in the landmarked Carnegie Mansion. Steward of one of the world’s most diverse and comprehensive design collections—over 215,000 objects that range from an ancient Egyptian faience cup dating to about 1100 BC to contemporary 3D-printed objects and digital code—Cooper Hewitt welcomes everyone to discover the importance of design and its power to change the world.
