Newsletter of the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University
The emphasis on healthcare design at Texas A&M's College of Architecture was lauded by Architect magazine in its December 2009 issue.
"Texas A&M stands out for its commitment to designing for health and aging, which is the main teaching/research interest of several professors," states an entry in the mazagine's website in a section called Schools that Excel in … Distinctive Specialties. "Very few U.S. architecture schools offer this specialization. With so many sectors of construction (retail, office, residential) in the doldrums, and with the percentage of the population aged over 65 growing significantly, the only thing close to a sure professional bet for would-be architects is healthcare design."
The entry goes on to state that health systems design at Texas A&M is studied in connection with facilities management/operations and sustainability, two other research strengths of the college's Department of Architecture.
The college houses the Center for Health Systems & Design, the world's largest collection of interdisciplinary faculty, students, and affiliated professionals committed to research and education about environments for health care.
The center, established in 1983, promotes research, innovation and communication in an interdisciplinary program focusing on health facility planning and design. It is co-managed by the Texas A&M colleges of architecture and medicine.
Among the center's recent projects is "Access to Nature, Planning Outdoor Space for Aging," a set of videos created by center faculty Fellow Susan Rodiek, associate professor of architecture. The set of DVDs provides information to help care providers, policymakers, educators, designers and consumer advocates create healthy, inviting outdoor environments for seniors in residential settings at all levels of care.
The Aggie architecture program’s focus on healthcare design began in 1967 when George J. Mann, professor of architecture, introduced an especially adept studio to the emerging architectural specialization. In the four decades since, the program has produced a new generation of highly nuanced architects who specialize in designing smart, high-tech healthcare facilities that nurture patient recovery while facilitating the numerous, ever-changing demands of modern medicine.
Over the years, students and faculty have completed more than 500 socially significant architecture-for-health design studio projects that have enhanced the health and welfare of people in need around the world, while providing unique opportunities for gaining practical, hands-on experience through “real-world” projects yielding consequential humanitarian results.
Recent Architecture-For-Health projects have included a medical facility to provide health care services for low income, uninsured individuals in the Brazos Valley, a new National Taiwan University cancer center and proton center, and a rehabilitation camp for disabled veterans and their families.
The CHSD co-sponsors the Architecture for Health Lecture Series, featuring lecturers from the allied healthcare professions discussing relevant issues related to the general public, the healthcare profession, sustainability and healthcare facility design.
Lecture topics from last fall included "The Role of Nonprofit Health Clinics in Healthcare Reform," “Can Robots Help Hospital Sustainability? A Case Study in Japan,” “Senior Living Trends,” and “Hospital Design: Lessons Learned as a Medical Student.”
For more information about the CHSD, visit http://archone.tamu.edu/chsd
- Posted: Jan. 11, 2010 -
