Academy of Architecture for Health: National Update

The Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) Knowledge Community welcomed Pierce McVey, AIA, LEED AP, 2026 AAH National President, for an overview of the Academy’s structure, strategic priorities, national programs, and opportunities for member involvement.

Pierce described AAH’s role in advancing healthcare architecture through education, networking, research, professional development, and thought leadership. He encouraged members to become involved through the Academy’s volunteer committees, noting that committee service often provides a pathway into national leadership and board positions.

AAH maintains an active presence at the profession’s major healthcare conferences, including the Planning, Design & Construction Summit, the Summer Leadership Summit, and the Healthcare Design Conference + Expo. This year’s Summer Leadership Summit will explore equity in healthcare under the theme Bridging the Gaps and Advancing Healthcare for All. National programming also includes the Healthcare Design Awards, NextGen scholars and U40 recognition, Tuttle Fellowship research presentations, case study workshops, and student design charrettes and challenges.

Pierce highlighted several initiatives that are helping AAH develop future leaders and broaden participation in healthcare design. The Colleague-to-Colleague Mentorship Program currently connects 26 mentees with nine mentor-group leaders from a diverse range of locations, firms, and practice settings. The Academy’s HBCU Fellows program is also building connections with educators and students at historically Black colleges and universities while expanding participation in national student programs.

Members were also introduced to Spectacle, AAH’s online publication focused on healthcare design, Academy activities, emerging ideas, and opportunities for professional contribution. Now entering its second year, the publication offers members another venue for sharing projects, research, and thought leadership.

Another important national development is the upcoming release of the new Facility Guidelines Institute edition this fall. Pierce noted that the changes are expected to represent a significant evolution in how the guidelines function within healthcare design and code frameworks, making the update especially relevant to practitioners.

AAH’s 2026 presidential theme is Resilience, viewed through a broad lens that includes climate response, organizational adaptability, healthcare delivery, workforce wellbeing, community health, and the ability to recover from disruption. The Academy is developing new pathways for participation through white papers, research briefs, technical design challenges, field research, and interdisciplinary workshops. The goal is to engage emerging professionals, cultivate thought leadership, and create ideas that may eventually inform larger national programs and competitions.

Pierce closed by encouraging members to participate at the national level. In addition to providing leadership experience, national involvement offers access to a strong professional network of healthcare designers, researchers, educators, and industry partners across the country.

Tim Neely, AIA, Chair of AAH Colorado, provided an overview of the chapter’s local programming, community partnerships, and volunteer opportunities for the remainder of the year.

Community service remains an important part of AAH Colorado’s work. The chapter has maintained a longstanding relationship with Denver Health’s Newborns in Need program, where volunteers assemble care packages for newborns and families. Members have also supported Project C.U.R.E. by sorting and packing surplus medical supplies for shipment to healthcare organizations and communities around the world.

Tim also highlighted AAH Colorado’s partnership with Women in Healthcare on an annual healthcare symposium. Recent symposiums have explored the future of healthcare, the relationship between technology and human-centered care, artificial intelligence, the future of nursing, mental health, and emerging models of treatment. Planning is now beginning for the next symposium, and members will have opportunities to help develop topics, identify speakers, secure sponsorships, and support the event.

The chapter’s ongoing Community Health Initiative has examined how healthcare organizations, architecture, planning, and community development intersect. Past programs have explored housing as a foundation for health, partnerships between health systems and housing organizations, community-based care, physician wellbeing, and design strategies that support healthier populations.

This year, the initiative is expanding through a volunteer-led project in Littleton. Building upon an Urban Land Institute study, AAH Colorado members are exploring redevelopment possibilities for a former retirement community site and the surrounding neighborhood. The effort is examining housing, public space, neighborhood connectivity, arts and community programming, and opportunities to incorporate preventative healthcare or other local health services.

The project is intended to continue conversations with residents, city leaders, planning officials, preservation advocates, healthcare providers, and other community stakeholders. Tim invited members, including students and emerging professionals, to participate in future study sessions and help translate broad community goals into more tangible design and planning ideas.

The session reinforced that AAH involvement can take many forms, from attending educational programs to volunteering, mentoring, writing, conducting research, supporting community initiatives, and serving in chapter or national leadership roles. Members interested in healthcare design are encouraged to connect with AAH Colorado and find an opportunity that aligns with their interests and experience.