Renee Lawrence, architect and medical planner, Boulder Associates (Boulder, Colo.)
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.
Renee Lawrence (Image credit: Copyright Caleb Tkach)
Healthcare Design’s 2026 Healthcare Design Industry Predictions series continues with Renee Lawrence, architect and medical planner, Boulder Associates (Boulder, Colo.), and a 2025 HCD Rising Star.
Here, Lawrence discusses some of the opportunities and challenges she sees for 2026, including shifts in construction practices, master planning, and the role of data analysis in design
Healthcare Design: Where do you think the healthcare design industry will head in 2026?
Renee Lawrence: In 2026, the healthcare design industry will continue moving toward more industrialized construction practices, including modular solutions, scalable systems, and buildings designed to grow as demand increases.
We will also see stronger desire for long-term master plans, as organizations shift away from ad-hoc expansion and toward more intentional campus development; construction costs continue to increase, and longevity is crucial.
Another major trend is the “flight to experience,” where providers prioritize environments that are attractive, efficient, and house more experiential amenities, rather than simply larger spaces.
HCD: What emerging trends or opportunities are you most excited about—and why?
Lawrence: One of the most exciting emerging opportunities is the rapid advancement of data analysis in design. We now have increasingly sophisticated tools for capturing workflow patterns, measuring operational efficiency, and gathering reliable performance data. These resources are becoming more precise, more accessible, and more tailored to our clients’ real-world conditions.
As this data becomes more robust and location-specific, it allows us to design healthcare environments that closely align with the needs of the unique patient populations they serve. It also supports a shift toward a more personalized, a-la-carte model of care delivery, where spaces are purpose-built for the services they provide.
Equally important, these insights help us strengthen staff experience and efficiency. By understanding actual workflows (rather than assumed ones or even computer-generated simulations) we can create environments that better support daily operations, reduce waste, and improve overall care administration.
The continued evolution of data-driven design is an exciting step toward smarter, more responsive healthcare facilities.
Anne DiNardo is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design and can be reached at [email protected].
