HCD Rising Star: Carole Ann Morris, senior associate and project interior designer, Page / Stantec
Carole Ann Morris graduated with a degree in interior design from Georgia Southern University in 2018 and started her career at Page (Atlanta), which became part of Stantec in August. During her time at the firm, she’s played a key role in a variety of healthcare projects, ranging from a 3,000-square-foot neurological department renovation at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital in Roswell, Ga., to a 30,000-square-foot renovation of a pediatric unit at Muma Children’s Hospital at Tampa General in Tampa, Fla.
But there’s one project that spans much of Morris’s first seven years as an interior designer: the 19-story Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital in Atlanta. Completed in fall 2024, Morris was involved in all phases from schematic design to construction administration, including specifying and documenting the furniture for the 2 million-square-foot facility. That latter scope of work involved planning and procurement of furnishings covering all patient care areas including 446 patient rooms, staff workspaces, public areas, and specialty departments.
Additionally, she collaborated closely with the client and furniture manufacturer to develop a custom design for the patient room sleep sofa to meet the need for a fold-over, double-sleep surface with an integrated folding table that didn’t exist on the market. The final sleep sofa design functions as a sitting area, remote workstation, eating area, and comfortable bed for two.
The project gave her an all-encompassing view of pediatric healthcare design, which has become her passion. “I love the challenge of designing a space that balances play, discovery, and color with sophistication, timelessness, and comfort to meet the needs of all users,” she says.
Path to healthcare design: I knew I was interested in impactful design and improving well-being, but when I discovered pediatric healthcare design, I was immediately hooked. It provokes empathy, attention to detail, and intentional design decision-making when you are considering the needs of such a vulnerable patient population. My passion is finding ways to transform the patient experience—whether it’s a cosmetic refresh that brings new life to the space, investigating space planning and flow improvements, or incorporating opportunities for play or discovery that make a hospital or clinic visit feel less stressful.
Describe your design approach: Collaborative, functional, empathetic, and user oriented.
On your desk now: Currently, I’m working on a cancer center redevelopment and a replacement hospital in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Most rewarding project to date: The Muma Children’s Hospital Renovation at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) in Tampa, Fla. I have loved working on this multiphase project, which is bringing upgrades to operations and efficiency on the unit while creating a playful and sophisticated healing environment. Although there were space constraints, we worked with the TGH team to renovate the space to feel bright and airy, enhance family and staff amenities, and improve workflow without decreasing the existing bed count.
What success means to you: It’s rewarding when a project that you have worked on for many years comes to completion and you know it has a positive impact on the community it serves. Personally, I love watching a vision come to life and seeing end-users appreciate the attention to detail and passion that goes into designing their space.
Industry challenge on your radar: Staff retention and burnout. All healthcare workers deserve spaces that emphasize respite, well-being, and safety designed to reflect their high value. Public-facing spaces tend to get priority when it comes to design elements and finish selections, so it’s also important to examine staff spaces in ways that not only improve workflow but upgrade amenities, furniture, or finishes.
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