Perspectives

Participating in the annual Healthcare Design Showcase judging has quickly become one of my favorite activities of the year.

This process starts in the early spring with our panel of jury members—including healthcare architects, interior designers, owners, and consultants—remotely reviewing submission decks and giving each project a score based on four criteria: innovation, aesthetics, experience, and operating performance.

Healthcare Design Showcase judging process

These scores are tallied after the first review phase, and the highest-scoring projects move on to the next round. Here, the jury comes together in person for a full day of project reviews to identify the strongest projects for awards, including Finalist, Honorable Mention, and the coveted Award of Merit.

This year, the jury identified 15 top projects for the finalist round in our 24th annual Showcase—the largest grouping in years—so we had our work cut out for us.

It’s here where some magic happens, though. The jury is divided into small groups, each one with a mix of roles and perspectives, to review and discuss the finalists.

“The discussion brings different aspects of the project to life,” one juror noted. For example, the interior designer in my group passionately made the case for a children’s project that utilized color and scale in new approaches to deliver an elevated design.

Toward the end of the day, the entire jury comes together to review the projects with the highest overall scores for awards consideration. Passions and opinions can run strong here, which is vital when you’re trying to identify work that’s raising the bar and leading this industry forward.

One juror lauded a project rich in innovation as a “work of art, starting at the front door.” Another implored the jury to consider the importance of adaptive reuse and how the revitalization of existing buildings is a valuable strategy in healthcare’s efforts to impact the climate crisis. “This sends a message to the design community that we value these buildings,” the juror noted.

Award of Merit, Honorable Mention coverage

It’s always an eye-opening and inspiring experience, and by day’s end, we had our 2024 Showcase winners. (I also had a notebook of ideas and topics to explore for months.)

Coverage of the Award of Merit and Honorable Mention winners, along with the list of finalists, will appear in our August issue. I’m confident you’ll find inspiration and new ideas on these pages to help guide your own projects.

Also, mark your calendars for the Magazine Awards Luncheon at the Healthcare Design Conference + Expo, where we’ll celebrate the 2024 Showcase winners, along with our annual Rising Star and Remodel/Renovation programs. There’s much to celebrate!

Find updates and additional information on the 2024 HCD Conference + Expo here.