Over the past quarter-century, healthcare design has undergone a remarkable transformation, driven in part by new technologies, a deeper understanding of patient and staff needs, changing operational requirements and financial models, and growing environmental consciousness.
As part of Healthcare Design magazine’s 25th anniversary issue, we invited industry leaders to reflect on some of the design trends—past, present, and future—that have redefined architectural standards.
This special section starts with a look at key milestones and developments that have shaped the planning, construction, and design of modern healthcare facilities over the years. The authors share insights into the adoption of sustainable practices, the rise of digital design tools, the shift toward all-private patient rooms, and the push to move care to more outpatient settings.
Then, to understand what pressures are shaping the industry now—and where it’s heading next—HCD hosted a roundtable discussion with representatives from leading architecture and healthcare organizations. Follow the links below to find these essays and HCD’s trend report.
Let’s celebrate the strides healthcare design has made while paving the way for its future growth and evolution.
- 25 Years Of Healthcare Design: Green Building Movement, by Kim Shinn, principal and senior sustainability wizard, TLC Engineering Solutions
- Drawing Faster, Thinking Deeper: 25 Years Of Technology In Healthcare Design, by Michael Grage, principal, GBBN
- Private Rooms, Public Good: How the Shift to Single-Patient Rooms Transformed the Hospital Industry, by Wayne Barger, vice president, federal market leader, and Craig Passey, vice president, director of health, SmithGroup
- Inpatient To Outpatient: 25 Years Of Design To Accommodate New Approaches To Where Care Is Delivered, by Catherine Gow, principal, health facilities planning, FCA
- Trend report: What’s Shaping Healthcare Design in 2025?, by Anne DiNardo, editor-in-chief, Healthcare Design
Anne DiNardo is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design and can be reached at [email protected].
