AIA Academy of Architecture for Health

The Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) is a knowledge community of the American Institute of Architects.

Its mission is to improve the quality of healthcare through design by developing, documenting, and disseminating knowledge; educating healthcare architects and other related constituencies; advancing the practice of healthcare architecture; improving the design of health care environments; affiliating and advocating with others that share our vision and promoting research.

The AAI AAH publishes its own journal called the Academy Journal, which features articles of particular interest to AIA members and the interested public involved in the fields of healthcare architecture, planning, design, research, and construction. Its goal is to promote awareness and educational exchange between architects and healthcare providers and to broaden our base of understanding about its clients.

The AAH also runs a number of awards programs, including:

• AIA AAH Presidential Citations: In order to recognise the work of individuals and organizations who make exceptional contributions to the success of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health (the Academy), the Board of Directors instituted in 2010 the Presidential Citation.
• AIA AAH ICU Design Citation Award: Awarded to the entry that best resolves both functional and humanitarian issues in a unique and complimentry manner.
• AIA Healthcare Design Awards: The AIA/AAH Design Awards showcase the best of healthcare building design and healthcare design-oriented research. The awards highlight the trends of healthcare facilities and the future direction of these facilities. Projects should exhibit conceptual strength that solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns as well as the requisite functional and sustainability concerns of a hospital.