The Center for Health Design

The Center for Health Design Research: We help facilitate research on how the design of the built environment affects outcomes.

The Center for Health Design is a non-profit organization - through design research, education and advocacy we improve and maximize health, safety and wellness in environments where people live, work and heal. A major initiative is the Pebble Project, a unique and dynamic collaborative, where forward-thinking healthcare, design, and industry professionals learn, research, and share information wit

h one another. Our website has more than 40 free research reports and whitepapers that link the built environment to outcomes and searchable databases of relevant research and project examples. Education: Our Evidence-based Design Accreditation & Certification (EDAC) program is an internationally recognized educational program that awards credentials to individuals who demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to apply an evidence-based process to plan and design healthcare facilities. With more than 1,200 certified individuals since its launch in 2009, EDAC is quickly becoming one of the healthcare design industry’s most important credentials. Each year, more than 4,000 individuals attend our annual Healthcare Design conference and 30,000 subscribe to Healthcare Design magazine (both produced by Vendome Group in association with CHD). Advocacy: We recognize and promote excellence in design and leadership through 5 award programs. By providing input into the Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, we are advocating for change in the building codes and standards. A partner in the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, we are an active participant in a coalition of major health systems and organizations committed to improving sustainability and safety across the healthcare sector. Hundreds of individuals and organizations are engaged to support our work and help transform the industry through our affiliate membership program.

The Center for Health Design website attracts highly competent and skilled professionals seeking the latest research and...
06/19/2026

The Center for Health Design website attracts highly competent and skilled professionals seeking the latest research and information in the health design field. What better place to look for talent for your company? Purchase a job posting - either 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days - and we will add it to our website's job board. To purchase a job posting, visit this link. https://loom.ly/DOjH7Bo

Outdoor spaces are increasingly recognized as a vital yet often underutilized component of the healing environment. Joi...
06/19/2026

Outdoor spaces are increasingly recognized as a vital yet often underutilized component of the healing environment. Join Naomi Sachs of University of Maryland and Shan Jiang of GBBN Architects as they explore the evidence linking access to nature, fresh air, and thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces with improved patient outcomes, accelerated recovery, and enhanced staff well-being.

This session will connect research with practical design strategies, offering insights healthcare professionals can apply to create more meaningful and effective healing environments. Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/wyGL1FE

At the March 2026 PDC Summit in Houston, The Center produced and presented a a 28-session Learning Track – Research, Des...
06/18/2026

At the March 2026 PDC Summit in Houston, The Center produced and presented a a 28-session Learning Track – Research, Design and Outcomes – featuring recent work from The Center’s research team; Environment Networks; the HERD Journal, and other familiar and new healthcare design industry leaders.

For the 2027 PDC Summit in New Orleans, we’re looking for smart, forward-thinking and inspiring industry veterans and ambitious up-and-comers as presenters or panelists for our track.

We’re looking for stories that feature the use of research to advance best practices and improve health outcomes, patient experience of care, and provider/staff satisfaction and performance. If you are a content expert and want to share your knowledge, we encourage you to apply! Learn more and submit your proposal here: https://loom.ly/QdknMtM

The pressure is growing to do more with less. As the demand for behavioral and mental health services continues to rise—...
06/18/2026

The pressure is growing to do more with less. As the demand for behavioral and mental health services continues to rise—and funding remains uncertain—care environments must be safer, more efficient, and more effective than ever.

Now in its tenth year, MindSpaces26 offers a full day and a half of focused learning, collaboration, and networking tailored to this challenge. Join design, facility, and care professionals for a deep exploration of how real-world, research-informed design strategies can improve outcomes across all types of behavioral health settings.

Make plans to be part of this one-of-a-kind experience this September in Minneapolis. Learn more and register today. https://loom.ly/zfEvtoQ

Thank you to our MindSpaces26 sponsors: Accurate Lock & Hardware Co., Altro Americas, architecture+, Whitehall Manufacturing, CorTech, Kennon, Kingsway Group, ModuForm, Inc, Norix Furniture, Patcraft, Pineapple Contracts, Spec Furniture, Stance Healthcare, Unicel Architectural Corp. and Vale Secure

Join us for a discussion featuring members of The Center for Health Design’s Pediatric Environment Network (PEN), a grou...
06/18/2026

Join us for a discussion featuring members of The Center for Health Design’s Pediatric Environment Network (PEN), a group of senior-level leaders shaping the design and oversight of pediatric environments. This candid conversation explores how built environments can continue to support the well-being of patients, families, and staff—even amid disruption.

Panelists Jill Pearsall, Jennifer Mishkin of Nemours Children’s Health, Sarah Walter of Stantec, Sean Darras of LUXTECH, LLC, and Kari Thorsen of ZGF Architects will share lessons learned from the field, highlighting strategies and design approaches that have proven resilient, as well as those that have fallen short. They will also offer practical insights on how they are adapting and what they would do differently to create safer, more effective pediatric environments in uncertain times. Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/8CluyCo

With industry news, current trends, field reports, and more, can help you take on the unique challenges facing the hea...
06/17/2026

With industry news, current trends, field reports, and more, can help you take on the unique challenges facing the health facility design, construction and operations communities. Get a free two-year digital subscription today: https://loom.ly/tc62m_4

Automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence are reshaping healthcare delivery — and raising important questions fo...
06/17/2026

Automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence are reshaping healthcare delivery — and raising important questions for everyone who designs, builds, and operates healthcare facilities.

Join Corey Gaarde of IMEG and Shawna Langworthy of HKS Architects for a discussion on which emerging technologies are showing early promise, which remain aspirational, and what architects, designers, and healthcare operators are learning as they navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.

From large academic medical centers to small rural hospitals, the conversation will offer practical insight into preparing facilities for the next technology revolution. Learn more and register at the link. Affiliate discounts apply. https://loom.ly/SJf0wVk

Tune into the latest episode of The Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 Podcast. In today's episode, Cheryl sits down with Mi...
06/16/2026

Tune into the latest episode of The Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 Podcast. In today's episode, Cheryl sits down with Mike McKay, Healthcare Market Sector Leader of ERDMAN and member of The Center for Health Design's Built Environment Network (BEN).

In this episode, Cheryl and Mike explore the ideas and experiences that have shaped ERDMAN’s approach to healthcare design. Mike shares how a difficult personal patient experience influenced his perspective, along with reflections on Marshall Erdman’s relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright and the firm’s early work in prefabrication and community-based healthcare design.

Their conversation also highlights the importance of daylight, nature, comfort, and human-scale environments, as well as why healthcare projects need a clear “why” before design begins and must keep the patient, staff, and community experience at the center. Listen to the episode here: https://loom.ly/gyYxY6A

Amid climbing cancer rates, which design strategies will best support new diagnostics, therapeutics, technologies, & lon...
06/16/2026

Amid climbing cancer rates, which design strategies will best support new diagnostics, therapeutics, technologies, & longer lifespans?

Cancer care environments are undergoing profound transformation — driven by climbing cancer rates, new diagnostics and therapeutics, emerging technologies, and longer lifespans.

With new cancer cases expected to rise by 20% over the next decade, it’s not surprising that between 2026 and 2035, cancer care facilities are predicted to be the fastest-growing facility type, supporting more patients in more places and in all phases of their healing journey.

Attend our upcoming workshop to equip yourself and your team to be better prepared for the forces reshaping oncology environments today with the strategies that will define them tomorrow, and with the tools that can deliver results. Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/kUaQ1LM

Thank you to our workshop Sponsor Partners IOA Furniture, Steelcase, Kwalu and WH Parker & Associates.

Our Center Stage newsletter provides an opportunity for our healthcare design community to learn more about products, se...
06/16/2026

Our Center Stage newsletter provides an opportunity for our healthcare design community to learn more about products, services and solutions available to support new construction and renovation projects.

This month's Center Stage features Patcraft's healthcare flooring solutions; Visa Lighting's Harmony Overbed light; and Appa lounge chairs by Pineapple Contracts. View this month's Center Stage newsletter here: https://loom.ly/wetUVZU

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