This course introduces students to the foundational components of healthcare facilities and the critical issues shaping healthcare design and research today. Grounded in evidence-based design principles, the course emphasizes understanding key research findings and how data-driven approaches inform design decisions across diverse healthcare environments.
Through multidisciplinary collaboration, students analyze healthcare settings by integrating clinical processes, technology, and design thinking. The course prepares students to work in collaborative teams and apply research-informed design methods to develop innovative solutions that respond to real-world healthcare challenges.
 

Course Project Showcase 2024 - Innovations in Rural Health Design

The 2024 course focuses on developing innovative design solutions to address the disparities in rural healthcare and improve patient and staff experiences in rural communities. Most rural health facilities in the U.S. are in a disadvantaged position, with very limited knowledge and expertise specific to their operational context. Other rural areas outside the U.S. experience similar struggles. Students are encouraged to explore innovative and forward-thinking design solutions to address rural health issues within or outside the U.S.

This course prepares students to engage and participate in architectural research and design to test and evaluate innovations at the intersection of design and health. It integrates research and design processes that address complex factors and prepares students to understand architecture with an interdisciplinary framework.