Dak Kopec

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Professor, School of Architecture

Expertise: Architecture, Environmental psychology, Aging in place, Health design

Biography

Dak Kopec is an architectural psychologist. He is among course instructors for UNLV's Healthcare Interior Design master's program, which blends Architecture and Health Sciences disciplines to teach interior designers to create spaces (such as hospitals, schools, homes, and senior living communities) that cater to aging populations as well as a wide range of physical ailments (for example: visual impairment, mobility issues, and dementia).

Kopec has written five books pertaining to psychological and physical health and a person’s overall well being, has been invited internationally to discuss health and wellbeing within the designed environment, and invited to serve diverse government appointed positions. His interests are in social justice through environmental design and person-centered design for specific health-related conditions.

Education

B.S., Health Sciences, California State University Long Beach
M.S., Community Psychology, Springfield College
M.S., Architecture, NewSchool of Architecture and Design
Ph.D., Environmental Psychology, Union Institute and University

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Dak Kopec In The News

The most effective aging-in-place renovations, according to experts and retirees

HousingWire

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: older Americans overwhelmingly support aging in place in their own homes, with some recent survey data indicating at or over 90% of seniors supporting retirement living in their own homes.

How Thoughtful Landscaping Helps Deter Crime

Money

Every year, nearly one million U.S. households fall victim to burglary, according to the FBI, leaving homeowners feeling violated and traumatized. What if the house itself was the first line of defense?

How Much Should You Spend on Aging in Place Renovations? Retirees Weigh In

If you ask Americans, the vast majority will say they want to live in their homes indefinitely. In fact, 95% of respondents to a 2024 U.S. News survey say that aging in place is an important goal for them.

Las Vegas companies saving time, money by converting offices instead of constructing them

The Comprehensive Digestive Institute of Nevada’s location in the southeast Las Vegas Valley boasts nearly a dozen exam rooms, a collaborative office space for physicians, an open-concept nursing station and a slew of other amenities to benefit patients and providers alike. It’s almost impossible to tell that, in a former life, the building was not equipped for medical use at all. In fact, it was a financial-services firm.