As health systems increasingly focus on leveraging the facility design process to improve patient outcomes and improve staff workflow, multidisciplinary design teams comprising architects, constructors, researchers, and operators are relying on current research to inform facility design decisions.  Clemson University has engaged with health systems and architecture firms as part of a multi-year federally funded patient safety learning lab to design a safer and more ergonomic operating room. This work represents the most comprehensive evidence based on OR design and has resulted in an OR prototype that has been implemented in multiple health systems. This webinar shares how Clemson University has collaborated with health systems and design professionals to develop concepts for flexible and safe operating room layouts.  This course will present an overview of the research process and how findings were implemented in real-world settings at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Emory Musculoskeletal Institute.  This program was recorded live on March 12, 2024. Course expires 02/03/2027

Designing clinical laboratories requires both operational insight and architectural strategy to create safe, flexible, and efficient spaces. This course will equip you with the essential knowledge and tools to translate benchmarking data and operational workflows into effective clinical lab design solutions.  Explore how space allocation, planning ratios, clinical lab benchmarks, and operational workflows establish a foundation for programming and design. Learn to optimize your design layout by aligning with best practices, accommodating hazardous materials, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Examine real-world case studies to gain practical insights for designing clinical labs that optimize hospital performance and improve patient outcomes.  

This panel discussion featuring a university educator, AAH next generation practitioner, AAH mentoring advocate, American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) leader and a firm principal involved in succession planning focuses on the opportunities and challenges in career development and progression.  This session was recorded live on October 10, 2023.

Historically, people experiencing disability have been segregated and excluded from mainstream spaces. With a majority presence of non-disabled participants in design teams, there’s often a lack of inclusive practices that address the perspectives of those with varied sensory abilities. Through a case study presentation of the Life Skills Training Center at the Washington State School for the Blind, participants will gain practical insights and actionable strategies to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of the design process and the resulting decisions forming the built environment.   This session was recorded live on June 10, 2025.

Designing healthcare facilities requires a deep understanding of life safety systems that protect patients, staff, and visitors. This presentation is tailored to expand designers’ knowledge of life safety requirements and gain practical tools for integrating these critical elements into hospital and ambulatory care design. Through an exploration of passive fire protection strategies, attendees will gain clarity on the often complex and overlapping requirements found in the International Building Code (IBC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. We will look at egress requirements tailored to healthcare occupancies and explore how to approach egress planning that meets code, supports operations, and prioritizes life safety.  In addition to passive strategies, the session will address active systems, offering an overview of basic design requirements for fire alarm and sprinkler systems. Designed to be both informative and actionable, this session will equip attendees with tools to better collaborate with engineers, code consultants, and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) to create projects are both compliant and safe.  This session was recorded live on July 8, 2025.

Specifically designed for healthcare architects and emerging professionals in healthcare design, this course offers a focused exploration of codes and regulations pertaining to doors and door hardware within healthcare facilities. The course will address the specific requirements for doors and hardware based on their use and occupancy, highlighting the critical need for highly durable, code-compliant, and safe solutions in hospitals. Key discussions will encompass essential aspects such as life safety, security, and long-term performance capabilities, detailing the basic regulatory requirements, various codes, and standards applicable to doors, especially those in a means of egress and their associated hardware. Attendees will gain insights into how door and hardware choices can impact design, learning practical tools for communicating door hardware and function, and discovering potential solutions for compliance to effectively prevent unintended code violations. This session was recorded live on September 9, 2025.

Medical respite care is defined as acute and post-acute care for people experiencing homelessness who are too ill or frail to recover from a physical illness or injury on the streets, but who are not ill enough to be in a hospital. Every medical respite care program shares the same fundamental elements: a short-term, safe place to stay, allowing people experiencing homelessness an opportunity to rest, recover, and heal in a safe environment while accessing medical care and supportive services. These programs are a critical opportunity to provide safety and opportunity to connect with providers and services to address the many factors contributing to a person’s experience of homelessness. To attend to the safety and healing of end users, programs would do well to employ intentional, trauma-informed, human-centered design approaches that support the mental and physical health needs presented by this population. Dignified Design is one such approach that prioritizes the needs of individuals accessing and delivering services in medical respite settings through a clear framework of principles and practices. This webinar will provide an overview of medical respite programs, their role in communities, and how the field of architecture can contribute to these programs through a Dignified Design approach, which centers the needs of people experiencing homelessness. This session was recorded live on August 12, 2025.

As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of hurricanes, healthcare facilities in coastal regions face growing pressure to remain operational during extreme weather events. This webinar explores the design and planning of a forward-thinking New Medical Campus (Health First Cape Canaveral Replacement Hospital, built to endure Category 4 hurricanes while delivering uninterrupted care.  Through the lens of this facility, architects (The Lawrence Group) and healthcare professionals will examine how resilient design imperatives—such as elevated construction, hardened building envelopes and integrated emergency planning—are essential in safeguarding public health in vulnerable regions.  Key topics include:  Responding to a Changing Climate: How evolving environmental conditions shaped the design strategy  Designing for Continuity: Architectural and operational systems that ensure care delivery during and after hurricanes  Collaborative Preparedness: Partnering with public health and emergency management agencies to develop robust response plans  Site-Specific Risk Mitigation: Evaluating and addressing vulnerabilities unique to coastal Florida  This session offers actionable insights for professionals designing healthcare campuses in hurricane-prone areas, emphasizing the need for adaptive, sustainable, and resilient solutions.  This session was recorded live on November 11, 2025.