Comprehensive Studio Site Visit & Contour Workshop | March 6th
Comprehensive Studio students recently visited their project site to measure out their own proposed buildings at full scale. By laying out the footprints of their designs on the ground, students were able to better understand spatial relationships, scale, and how their projects interact with the surrounding context.
The visit also included a contour workshop focused on interpreting site topography. Students explored how elevation changes influence building placement, circulation, and site design strategies. Together, these exercises helped students translate their drawings into physical space and develop a deeper understanding of how their projects engage with the landscape.
A+H Career Fair Afterparty at Kite Hill | February 17-19 During the 2026 Spring Career Fair at Clemson University, the Architecture + Health program extended the conversation beyond the expo hall. Over three evenings, students, alumni, and professionals gathered at Kite Hill Brewing Co. for a relaxed afterparty that blended networking with connection.
One of the defining strengths of the A+H program is its professional network. Events like this reinforce the close relationships between students, alumni, and firm partners who support the program year after year. Thank you to everyone who joined us over the evenings. We are grateful for the continued support of our firm partners and alumni who invest in Clemson’s next generation of healthcare designers.
After months of late nights and nonstop sketching, we finally presented our critical access hospital designs for Lake Lure, North Carolina, during our final review. Throughout the semester, we had four iterative reviews and countless desk crits/pin-ups, all of which helped shape our final projects into something we’re genuinely proud of.
Even though we all started with the same site, it was amazing to see how everyone’s unique ideas and design voices led to completely different solutions. Some groups focused on the incredible view of the mountains and hills; others focused on creating restored wetlands to reinvigorate this flood-ridden site, but we all came up with great ideas for how to make a sustainable, critical-access hospital on a site that prides itself on its resilience.
We’ll take all that valuable feedback and submit our work to the AIA COTE Top Ten Student Competition in April, hoping to finally showcase a healthcare project on a larger stage. A big thank you to the guest judges, both in person and joining online, and hearing their fresh perspectives made the whole experience feel real and energizing.
Thank you to John Pangrazio, Partner Emeritus NBBJ; Sam Burnette, Principal ESA; Cam Twohey, Associate Principal Kahler Slater Architects; David Martin, Global Design Leader and Vice President Stantec; and Byron Edwards, Professor of Practice Emeritus, for traveling or joining us virtually from across the country. Additionally, we are thankful for Clemson’s Lyndsey Deaton and Dan Harding, who taught supplemental courses to create a holistic curriculum.
And of course, a huge thank you to our professors, David Allison and Scott Rawlings, as well as our facade specialist, Maurya McClintock, McClintock Consulting, for guiding us every step of the way.
This past Friday the Architecture + Health team had the privilege of travelling 2 hours north to Gastonia, North Carolina to visit The Birthplace at CaroMont Health designed by our very own Scott Rawlings and his partner Robby Aull, Principal at SSOE.
A tour lead by Jennifer Sciba, Director of Women and Children’s Health Services at CaroMont Health, included exploring the optimized patient rooms and the NICU with lots of focus on staying family centered and escaping from the machine-like birthing processes and clinical spaces of older facilities. It was such an amazing experience witnessing the importance of family-centered design, natural movement, and priority to support mothers and new families in this space.
On the road to the Healthcare Design Conference and Expo 2025! The A+H studio had an amazing time traveling together (all 14 hours) to get to this year’s conference held in Kansas City, MO! With 2 big black vans, 14 eager students, and 30 plus bags, the group had a great time on the road gazing at the beautiful autumn Appalachian landscape to our first stop in Nashville.
ESa and TMP Office Tours | October 23-24
In Nashville, we had the chance to tour two local architecture firms: ESa Architects in the downtown and TMP in Franklin, a nearby suburb.
At ESa, the tour and presentation were led by Jason Cowan and Sam Burnette, highlighting key buildings and architecture from their firm in the hopes of inspiring the group for their studio project this semester. Their office was charming with big windows allowing the ‘golden hour’ sun to shine through while overlooking the Nashville skyline. A big thank you to Jason, Sam, and the rest of the ESa team for taking time out of their busy schedules to talk to the group (and treating us to some amazing quesadillas and margaritas later that night)!
TMP, located in a quieter part of the greater Nashville area, welcomed us with a Chik-fil-A breakfast and coffee. The tour and presentation lead by Josh Stewart and Michelle Goodman was equally as inspiring and exciting, as they showcased their new office, with amazing interior design, attention to private spaces, and impressive desk layout. A big thank you to Josh, Michelle, and the rest of the TMP team for being so welcoming and letting the group see their office!
The Road to Kansas City, MO | October 24
After a fun first night in Nashville, the studio hit the road again for the next stop. Day two of the trip was filled with plenty of roadside stretches, coffee runs, and spontaneous photo ops. From playground breaks under tall trees to crossing state lines, the group kept spirits high as we made our way through the Midwest. With good music, lots of snacks, and even more laughter, the long drive became very memorable. By the time we reached Kansas City, we were energized and ready for the Healthcare Design Conference to begin.
Kansas University Medical CenterTour | October 25 Morning
After finally arriving in Kansas City (a big thank you to our student drivers), the group had the amazing experience of touring the Kansas University Medical Center. This was such a pivotal tour for the A+H students as a majority of us have never been behind the patient hospital walls before.
ACHA 25th Anniversary Party | October 25 Evening
Its time to set up for the ACHA 25th Anniversary Party located in the stunning venue of the National World War I Museum. As the group mingled with professionals, it was obvious how close this group of healthcare architects are and how dedicated they are to designing environments that are safe, functional, and innovative. Each person we talked to had words of inspiration and motivation, revealing our importance to the next generation of healthcare architects. What an amazing way to start HCD with #25yearsofACHA!
The moment we’ve all been waiting for… Healthcare Design Conference 2025 in Kansas City, MO!
The group had amazing time attending the conference. It was a busy schedule packed with attending informative sessions, meeting colleagues, eating amazing food, celebrating with firms at their after parties, and collecting as much free merch from the expo as possible!
The sessions spanned from talks about historical buildings and key moments in the history of healthcare architecture to informative and precautionary tales of integrating AI into our daily practice. The sessions were inspiring, all with an underlying foreshadowing of big changes in the future of the profession which means a great motivation to us students.
It was great to meet alumni from those recently graduated to those who started the program as they lead talks and discussions, proving that the A+H program alumni are making big waves in the world of healthcare architecture.
HCD Day 3 | October 28
One insightful session was by recent graduate, Ana Sandoval, as she presented her thesis and led discussion on her design of a woman’s clinic in Honduras, inspired by the trials and tribulations women face in the medical field.
For a lot of the group, this was the first time in Kansas City and we had a wonderful time exploring the local bar scene and joining in on the Monday night football celebrations! It is always a wonderful time exploring the country!
A big thank you to David Allison, Scott Rawlings, Alexa Smith, and all the people that made this trip possible!
This Semester’s Project and Site Visit | August 23
Following the AIA-AAH SAR conference, we took a day trip to North Carolina for a site visit where we learned that the big focus for our fall studio project is to design a critical access center and campus in Lake Lure, NC. This presents a challenging and exciting opportunity to rethink how healthcare can serve a rural community while responding to the natural landscape.
Town of Lake Lure
Project Site
Our project site tells a story ofresilience and rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. Surrounded by a golf course, forested walking trails, and a hilly landscape, the site offers both challenges and opportunities for design. We began our site visit by hiking the Dittmer-Watts Nature Trail to better understand the landscape.
Hiking the Dittmer-Watts Nature Trail
After finishing the hiking trail, we gathered as a group to debrief and discuss the project details. Our faculty, David Allision and Scott Rawlings led a conversation about the site’s opportunities and constraints, encouraging students to share first impressions and design ideas for how healthcare could integrate with the surrounding landscape.
Flooding as a site challenge
Project Debrief
Not only was this day trip a good way to get familiar with our new studio project, but it also allowed the team to get to know one another as the school year begins!
AIA-AAH South Atlantic Region (SAR) Chautauqua 15.0Conference | August 21-22
The Architecture + Health studio commenced the 2025-26 school year with with the AIA-AAH South Atlantic Region Chautauqua Conference! This year’s theme focused on the application of innovative building systems in healthcare facility planning, design and construction.
The event started Thursday night with a welcome reception and building tour of Timberlab in Piedmont. What an exciting way to network and learn about mass timber construction and innovation!
TimberLab Building Tour
The following morning, around 100 healthcare architects, engineers, designers, and health system representatives, gathered to engage in dialogue about the latest, relevant trends in the healthcare design industry. We saw various building systems and methods including mass timber structural systems, prefabricated and modular construction, low carbon MEP systems.
Panel Discussion at the AIA-AAH South Atlantic Region (SAR) Chautauqua 15.0 Conference
That evening, the A+H students met up for an Alumni Gathering at the Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center and got the opportunity to network with the alumni of the A+H program and to celebrate the accomplishments and longevity of the program!
A+H Alumni Gathering at the Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center
After a summer of internships, travel, and maybe a little much-needed rest, it’s good to be back in Lee Hall! Seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones is always a good reminder that we’re all bringing different experiences to the table, and that’s what makes this program so unique. We’re also excited to welcome a new group of students into the program! Starting the A+H program can feel intense at first, but the energy and curiosity new students bring is contagious.
Here’s to a new school year at Clemson A+H. Let’s make it a good one!
