Sheri Teymouri, AIA, EDAC, WELL AP, Architect and health planner, HDR (Chicago)

In her eight years in the healthcare design industry, Sheri Teymouri’s portfolio includes a diverse range of projects, from outpatient clinics to Level 1 trauma centers for major health organizations.

Teymouri graduated with a master’s degree in architecture from Washington University (St. Louis) and in 2019 was hired as a senior design coordinator by HDR, where she was promoted to health planner in 2022. This year, she was selected for HDR’s BOOST program, a one-year leadership skills development program.

For the past four years, Teymouri has been leading planning for Advocate Health Care’s (Chicago) ambulatory outpatient facilities, including a cohesive redesign of the core patient care component, to create a more efficient and prefabricated construction appropriate module. She also worked closely with Advocate Health’s clinical team and design and construction leaders to develop standards for its ambulatory surgery centers.

Currently, she’s engaged in the largest project of her career, a 2 million-square-foot expansion of inpatient facilities at the University of Kentucky’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, Ky., where she is working on the functional planning of adult and pediatric acute and intensive care units as well as behavioral health units.

Her dedication to innovation and a future vision for healthcare has driven the development of new tools, such as a Health Revit Starter template to streamline the planning process. Teymouri is also a mentor to younger staff, often volunteering within the Chicago office, where she is recognized as a knowledge expert.

She’s also in her second year of teaching the health design studio for graduate architecture students at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus, and attends twice-weekly design studios to provide a consistent voice on behalf of HDR and the healthcare architecture community.

Path to healthcare design: During a hospital stay, I recognized the positive impact that thoughtful design could have on the overall experience. This motivated me to pursue a career where I could make a difference for everyone involved, from enhancing patient care to creating a more supportive environment for healthcare workers and families, bringing about meaningful change through architecture.

Describe your design approach: Human-centered, efficient, and future-oriented.

On your desk now:  The University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, Ky., is embarking on an ambitious plan to revamp its inpatient facilities with a massive 2 million-square-foot expansion that will include 900 adult and pediatric inpatient beds. I’m proud to be part of the HDR team helping UK Healthcare (Lexington) envision, master plan, program, and design this hospital.

Most rewarding project to date: The University of New Mexico Hospital, an academic medical center in Albuquerque, N.M., anticipated to open in 2025. This project is significant to me because of its thoughtful design tailored to the community it serves. As a Level 1 trauma center, it will cater to a large Native American community. This design takes inspiration from the local context. Every aspect of the project, from the exterior design, material selection, and space planning to the art, is carefully crafted to align with and serve the community. It also creates a beautiful space for staff with a dedicated floor of amenity space, offering access to the outdoors, daylight, and fresh air to prioritize their well-being.

What success means to you: I define success as making an impact. It’s not just about reaching a destination but also about the journey and the impact made along the way. It’s about seeing the direct results of your efforts and knowing that your actions have positively affected others or the environment around you.

Industry challenge on your radar: Bridging the gap in sustainability to aim toward the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2030 Commitment goals for carbon-neutral buildings. Healthcare buildings are notoriously behind in the sustainability realm due to their complex nature and high energy consumption, which is why the industry needs to focus on innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. We can leverage data-driven design to facilitate the process, and, sometimes, the solution can be as simple as rotating the building a few degrees.

Must-have skill for healthcare designer today: The ability to be agile and purposeful in their approach. This means being adaptable and responsive to the evolving needs of healthcare environments, while maintaining a clear, intentional focus on improving patient care, efficiency, staff well-being, and overall health outcomes. By combining agility with purpose, designs can effectively address the dynamic challenges in healthcare settings, ensuring they are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and conducive to healing.

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