Delve: The Future of Wellness in Healthcare Design
In the October 2026 issue of Delve, Senior Interior Designer, Associate Scott Steffes, IIDA, NCIDQ, LEED GA, challenges the industry to rethink what wellness means in healthcare environments. In his article,“More Than Well: From Basics to Delight,” Scott argues that wellness should no longer be viewed as a fundamental expectation of every healthcare experience.
Wellness in healthcare design should no longer be an aspiration reserved for exceptional projects.
St. Raphael Campus Emergency Department and Heart and Vascular Center, Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, CT. Photo by Raj Das.
Raising the Baseline
Scott looks for a shared understanding of the essentials that every healthcare environment should provide. Access to natural light, comfort, healthy materials, safety, supportive environments, and meaningful choice should be considered baseline design requirements rather than premium amenities. When wellness is embedded in the design process from the start, we can ensure that positive experiences are not dependent on a particular client, project team, or budget.
Diamond Children’s Play Zone, Banner University Medical Center, Tucson, AZ. Photo by Kevin Korczyk.
Beyond Wellness to Delight
Once the fundamentals are in place, Scott encourages designers to consider a more ambitious question: what creates delight? He suggests that, rather than in expensive features or dramatic gestures, delight is often found in moments that exceed expectations and make people feel unexpectedly supported, safe, comfortable, empowered, or seen.
Whether through increased choice, access to outdoor environments, opportunities for privacy, or simple acts of hospitality, these interventions can elevate the healthcare experience in meaningful ways.
Throughout the article, Scott shows that wellness extends beyond physical comfort. Mental well-being, belonging, community, autonomy, and psychological safety all contribute to how people experience a space. Some of the most effective wellness strategies, he argues, emerge from collaborative conversations with patients, families, clinicians, facilities teams, and partners to better understand their experience.
Read “More Than Well: From Basics to Delight” in the October 2026 issue of Delve.
Emily Hooper
Director of Marketing, Associate
Emily leads brand and communications strategies across six physical and virtual studios.