Iowa State architecture students win national hospital design competition

From ISU Design College (link: https://www.design.iastate.edu/news/2024/04/iowa-state-students-win-national-hospital-design-competition/):

Students from the Iowa State University College of Design took home top awards in the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA)’s inaugural student design competition.

Participants were challenged to design a Critical Access Hospital for a rural, medically underserved community. They were encouraged to explore design solutions that promote patient-centered care, utilize sustainable building practices and integrate seamlessly into the surrounding community.

Fifth-year architecture students Emily Drennen Hatch, from Plano, Texas, and Ryan VerMulm, from Hartley, won first place for their “Tall Pines Medical Center–Hualapai Nation” project, which focused on the needs of a rural, indigenous population and included an interior aesthetic that incorporates natural materials and plants.

Hamid Akhtarkavan, who graduated with his master of architecture from Iowa State in December 2023, received an honorable mention for his “The Beating Heart of the Desert, Bisbee, Arizona” project.