The Architecture + Health program was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to New Orleans, LA to attend the 2023 HCD conference. In addition to attending the HCD Conference, we were also able to see the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, meet some wonderful alumni of the A+H program, and tour two inspiring hospitals as well as the HKS Atlanta office.
Our first stop on Thursday was the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where we had the opportunity to tour the mechanical spaces and learn about the mechanical systems that enable this hospital’s energy efficiency. In the evening, we were joined by alumni Chenyue Yuan for a wonderful dinner.
We began our day on Friday with a wonderful experience touring the HKS Atlanta office. The team was hospitable and the office was beautiful, and it was a great experience to get an insight into such a respected firm in healthcare architecture. We are so grateful to our A+H alumni and the whole team for their hospitality, and for taking the time to share some projects and experiences with us.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice aims to create a space to for people to gather and reflect on our nation’s history of racial inequality in a sober and meaningful way. The memorial is constructed with over 800 steel monuments, each representing a county in the United States where a lynching occurred, and the names of victims are engraved on the columns. As we explored this deeply moving space, we experienced the power of architecture to express grief and memory, and to inspire change.
On Saturday, we had the opportunity to tour the New Orleans Children’s Hospital. This was a valuable and wonderful experience to expand our understanding of pediatric hospital design. It was a great privilege to have this tour of such a beautifully designed facility.
On Monday night we were joined by over 50 A+H alumni and had a fantastic time meeting and reconnecting!
We had three wonderful days at HCD, attended many extraordinary lectures and seminars, connected with many inspiring people, and returned home looking forward to implementing some new ideas into our projects. We were able to be present for presentations from Clemson Professors David Allison, Anjali Joseph, Dina Battista, and Vincent Blouin. Several A+H alums were recognized for exemplary contributions in healthcare architecture. Congratulations to the following A+H alumni who received recognition at HCD 2023!
Presentations:
David Allison
Anjali Joseph
Dina Battisto
Vincent Blouin
Anthony Asher
Christian Bormann
Scott Meade
Kimberly Stanley
Deborah Wingler
Kirk Hamilton
Walter B. Jones
Frank Zilm
Asma Sanaee
Shan Jiang
MillerKnoll:
Madilyn Dubois
Cassidy Bland Roberts
Tuttle Fellowship:
Sara Kennedy
GMZ Fellowship:
Swati Goel
2023 Healthcare Design Awards:
Kenneth Webb (HKS)
Kimberly Bandy (ZGF)
David Allison
Anjali Joseph
HKS Atlanta alums:
Thabang Nyondo
Les Saunders
Hannah Shultz
Ethan Hopkins
New Orleans Children’s Hospital:
Sarah Wade Walter
What an incredible experience, and a truly unique opportunity for us as students to attend a trip like this. We are sincerely grateful.
