Jay Patel, associate in architecture, TVS Design (Atlanta)
Editor’s Note: This article is part a Healthcare Design’s Industry Predictions series. Throughout January, HCD will share perspectives from respected industry voices on where the sector may head in 2026 and what challenges and opportunities are on their radar.
Jay Patel (Headshot: Courtesy of TVS Design)
Healthcare Design’s 2026 Healthcare Design Industry Predictions series continues with Jay Patel, associate in architecture, TVS Design (Atlanta).
Here, Patel discusses some of the opportunities and challenges he sees for 2026, including the continued shift to adaptable environments, smart planning, and using AI to give designers and clinicians time to create spaces that feel safe, supportive, and healing.
Healthcare Design: What lessons did the healthcare design industry learn from 2025’s challenges?
Patel: Resilience doesn’t come from cutting every line item—it comes from planning smartly. The teams that built in alternates for materials, sequencing, and phasing weathered supply-chain challenges far better than those locked into a single path. Early coordination between designers, contractors, and procurement made all the difference.
And one more thing: communication matters. A 15-minute early conversation often saves weeks of confusion later.
HCD: Where do you think healthcare design will head in 2026?
Patel: I think we’ll see a continued shift toward adaptable environments—spaces that flex with changing care models, including telehealth and decentralized care.
At the same time, designers will double down on the basics: daylight, acoustics, intuitive circulation, staff respite. And as artificial intelligence (AI) tools mature, we’ll see less focus on novelty and more on practicality—helping teams do thoughtful work without burning out.
HCD: What’s the biggest opportunity for change next year?
Patel: Using AI to give designers and clinicians something they rarely have: time. Time to listen, time to solve, time to deliver.
If used intentionally, AI can take on the repetitive tasks and allow people to focus on what really matters—creating spaces that feel safe, supportive, and healing. But it only works if we stay grounded in empathy and clear guardrails. The goal is to amplify the human touch, not replace it.
HCD: What emerging trends excite you — and why?
Patel: I’m excited about immersive environments that enable early idea testing, data frameworks that help us make evidence-informed choices, and smarter systems that support sustainability in a real, measurable way.
These trends aren’t just “tech upgrades.” They help create spaces that adapt with time, reduce stress for staff, and support patients when they’re at their most vulnerable.
When design and technology lift each other up—that’s where the magic happens!
Anne DiNardo is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design and can be reached at [email protected].
