Graves: Why hospital rooms don't work

American architect Michael Graves has turned his attention to designing elements for health care facilities. After an infection left Graves paralyzed, his stays in various hospitals and rehab centers taught him that poor design is more than just ugly; it can drastically hinder one's mobility and independence.

While in a rehabilitation center that was supposed to be designed with wheelchair users in mind, Graves discovered that he had trouble reaching the hot water tap and navigating around his small room. This is why Graves makes his employees send weeks in a wheelchair so that they can understand the needs of the people that they are designing for. Some of the products that he has developed include a chair with big handles that help one to stand and a bedside table with curved edges and a two-way drawer that can be opened from either side.

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