About
MEET DR. LORISSA MACALLISTER,
THE SPACE DOCTOR™
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RESEARCH SCIENTIST
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SOCIAL WORKER
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ARCHITECT
The Visionary Behind the inFORMed Approach™
Meet Dr. Lorissa MacAllister
With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Lorissa MacAllister has redefined how we view and design space, transforming it into a strategic asset that drives performance and enhances personal wellbeing. Her journey began at the intersection of healthcare, architecture, and behavioral science. As a medical social worker, she saw firsthand how the environment shaped critical moments—private consult rooms allowed families to be more present and less stressed. This sparked a powerful realization: space isn’t just where things happen; it shapes how they happen.
Motivated by this insight, Dr. MacAllister transitioned into architecture, where she recognized that design was focused on adding more space, not making the space work better for its occupants. More does not make better outcomes; many spaces overlook their true function and purpose.
In 2010, she founded Enviah to build a holistic view of space performance through creating tools to help inform how space performs and supports its occupants, not just operations. Enviah bridge people, space, technology, and organizational goals. Her pioneering research demonstrated how room features and placements like handwash sink in layout and spatial relationships impact everything from customer ratings and retention to revenue.
This work led to the development of the inFORMed Approach™—an evidence-based methodology that identifies “friction points” and aligns design with organizational goals to drive productivity, well-being, and efficiency. Today, Dr. MacAllister’s approach empowers Fortune 500 companies, healthcare providers, and public organizations to transform their space into a strategic asset that supports and drives results.
Formal Bio
Lorissa MacAllister
PhD, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, EDAC
Lorissa MacAllister, PhD, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, EDAC, is a leading expert in creating physical environments that improve organizational outcomes, culture, and well-being. With a doctorate in architecture and a background in medical social work, Dr. MacAllister is the pioneer of the inFORMed Approach™, an evidence-based methodology that aligns space design with strategic goals to enhance performance across healthcare, corporate, and public sectors.
Dr. MacAllister’s extensive research has shown that built environments can either enable or inhibit outcomes such as productivity, employee satisfaction, and customer experience.
Since founding her strategic consulting firm, Enviah in 2010, she has worked with dozens of organizations – particularly in healthcare but also in the business space - to improve care experiences, save money, and increase operational efficiencies by treating space as a strategic asset.
She is the recipient of multiple awards from the Center for Health Design and has previously served on Michigan’s Certificate of Need Commission. A frequent national speaker and published author, Dr. MacAllister advocates for leaders and organizations to harness the potential of their environments to drive growth, well-being, and positive outcomes.
AWARDS
The Center for Health Design
Touchstone Award Silver 2022
The Center for Health Design
New Investigator Research Award 2015
University of Michigan
Athena Award 2014
AIA Michigan
Young Architect of the Year 2012
AIA Grand Valley
Young Architect of the Year 2011
249th Point of Light
George H. W. Bush 1990
NOTABLE
Publications
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HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE MAGAZINE FEATURED ARTICLE.
MacAllister, L., Market, M., Kasman, S. (2022) Designed To Care
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AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION HEALTH FACILITIES MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE COLUMN, STUDYING SPACE.
MacAllister, L. (2021) Resetting For Post-pandemic Occupancies.
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PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
MacAllister, L., Wayne, J. (2021). Walking Meetings: The Future Of Safely Collaborating At Work.
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AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION HEALTH FACILITIES MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE COLUMN, STUDYING SPACE.
MacAllister, L. (2021) Evaluating Found Space In Health Facilities.
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AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION HEALTH FACILITIES MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE COLUMN, STUDYING SPACE.
MacAllister, L. (2020) Optimizing Value In Health Facilities Planning.
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PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
MacAllister, L., Wayne, J. (2020). 5 Ways To Make Your Home A Healing Space.
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HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS RESEARCH AND DESIGN J. 12(1), 91-107
MacAllister, L. , Zimring C.,, And Ryherd E. (2019)
"Exploring the relationships between patient room layout and patient satisfaction"
