Healthcare Design Conference + Expo

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Evidence-Based Design (EBD)

A decision-making process that uses the best available research to link design choices in the built environment to measurable outcomes for patients, families and staff. At HCD Expo the concept shows up in sessions and exhibit-hall products that turn research (falls, sleep, infection, staff travel distances) into concrete unit layouts, lighting strategies and material choices.

2

Patient- and Family-Centered Care

An operating model in which care is planned around the patient and family experience rather than around departmental convenience. In healthcare design it drives single-patient rooms, family zones, decentralised nursing stations, clear sightlines and generous wayfinding.

3

Healing Environment

A design philosophy that treats daylight, acoustics, views of nature, art and reduced sensory stress as clinical assets. On the HCD Expo floor this translates into products such as acoustic ceiling systems, daylighting glazing, biophilic finishes and quiet HVAC design.

4

FGI Guidelines

The Facility Guidelines Institute's Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals, Outpatient Facilities and Residential Health, Care and Support Facilities. These consensus documents are referenced by US healthcare architects, engineers and regulators when planning new build and renovation, and they shape the compliance language used across HCD Expo education.

5

Wayfinding

The combination of architecture, signage, colour, lighting and digital tools that helps patients, families and staff navigate a healthcare campus. Healthcare-specific wayfinding addresses stress, reduced staff escort time and accessibility compliance.

6

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) by design

Design choices that reduce transmission risk: single-patient rooms, easily cleaned surfaces, hand-hygiene station placement, isolation-room anterooms, airborne-infection controls and separation of clean and soiled flows. IPC is a recurring driver of product selection for healthcare interiors at the show.

7

Bed Tower / Patient Tower

A multi-storey inpatient block, typically organised into nursing units of 24 to 36 beds. Bed-tower projects dominate healthcare capital programmes and are a common theme for architectural and engineering exhibitors at HCD Expo.

8

Ambulatory Care / Outpatient Facility

A facility for procedures, clinics and diagnostics that do not require overnight stay. Ambulatory and outpatient work is a fast-growing segment of healthcare construction because it is lower cost and closer to patients.

9

Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE)

A structured study of a completed facility that compares actual performance (staff workflow, patient experience, energy use, maintenance) against the original design intent. POE results feed the next generation of evidence-based design.

10

Mock-Up (Patient Room Mock-Up)

A full-scale physical or virtual replica of a patient room, operating room or exam room built before construction so clinicians and staff can test headwalls, clearances, sightlines, storage and equipment placement. Mock-ups are a standard de-risking step for healthcare capital projects.

11

Adaptive Reuse

Converting an existing building (office, retail, hotel, industrial) into a healthcare facility. Adaptive reuse can shorten schedules and cost on outpatient and specialty projects, but it requires careful attention to floor-to-floor height, structure, MEP capacity and code compliance.

12

Behavioural Health Design

Design of inpatient and outpatient mental and behavioural health environments, emphasising ligature-resistant fixtures, anti-barricade doors, durable but non-institutional finishes, and layouts that support observation, dignity and safety.

13

BIM and Digital Twin

Building Information Modelling produces a coordinated 3D model used for clash detection, coordination and construction sequencing. A digital twin extends that model into operations, mapping assets, systems and sensor data for facility management.

14

Sustainable Healthcare Design

Reducing energy, water, waste and embodied carbon in healthcare facilities, often through LEED or equivalent frameworks, resilient infrastructure (storm, power, flooding) and material health criteria that limit harmful chemicals in patient areas.