Institute for Health+Wellness Design announced

LAWRENCE — The School of Architecture, Design & Planning Dean Mahesh Daas has announced the formation of the Institute of Health+Wellness Design at the University of Kansas. Frank Zilm, who was formerly Chester Dean Lecturer on Healthcare Design and Architecture, will serve as the Chester Dean Director of the Institute. The formal launch takes place at an event at 3 p.m. today, Sept. 30, in the Forum at Marvin Hall.  

Over the past eight years, the school has established itself as one of the nation’s leaders in preparing students to specialize in health care architecture design through its Health+Wellness curriculum option.

“The new institute is going to tap into the work of key faculty within the school and other programs at KU to help promote effective health care environments, healthy communities,” Zilm said. "We will be able to help architects and other designers create effective concepts based on evidence-based and experienced-based research. Our school is one of the leaders in graduate design education, and we see this as a logical extension of that success.”

A major goal of the institute is to establish affiliate relationships with health care design firms and organizations to facilitate research initiatives. It will also begin offering executive training and educational opportunities for professional design firms throughout the U.S. 

Healthcare design firms who have already signed on as affiliates include: ACI Boland Architects, Kansas City, Mo.; BBH, Raleigh, N.C.; HDR , Inc., Omaha; Health Facilities Group, Wichita; INVISION, Waterloo, Iowa; the Lawrence Group, St. Louis; Mercy Health, St. Louis, and Pulse Design Group, Lenexa. 

“This will allow a major expansion of KU’s ability to provide research, consultation and outreach to health care providers and design professionals,” Daas said. 

Zilm brings a unique combination of teaching and practice to the institute. Since 1984 he has been president of his own health care design consultancy, Frank Zilm & Associates. The Kansas City, Missouri, firm specializes in facility master planning, operations analysis and design concepts. He has led more than 300 projects, most recently for Saint Louis University Hospital and Stanford University Hospital.

He has served as president of the American Institute of Architect’s Academy on Architecture for Health and was recently recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American College of Healthcare Architects. He is a fellow of that organization and the American Institute of Architects.

Professor of Architecture Kent Spreckelmeyer will serve as associate director of the institute while continuing to direct the Department of Architecture’s Health & Wellness Program and serving as its internship liaison.