Second in a series of articles looking at current trends to paint a picture of what the architecture for health profession, and the design of health facilities, will look like in the future.

Architecture for health is positive, complex and meaningful. While that alone inspires and drives many in the profession, there remains the need to be profitable. Taking a peek at what the future may hold can help many of us get there.

When Penn State first opened the doors of its student health center in 1929, it was like most other university health centers erected in the early part of the 20th century.

Built primarily as a response to infectious diseases, like the influenza epidemic of 1918, its design replicated that of early hospitals or infirmaries, with in-patient beds and a focus on custodial or nursing care. It was a place for patients to rest and be quarantined or isolated from the general student population.

Each year, more than 100,000 people die from nosocomial (staph) infections in American healthcare facilities. While healthcare design and cleaning methods are sources that perpetuate the spread of nosocomial infections, a multi-pronged approach of improved design and cleaning can help control their spread.