A H D C


Australian Health Design Conference | 2025 | Design for a Changing World

AHDC2025 will explore how partnerships drive innovation, ensuring healthcare spaces are not just functional but also health-promoting, accessible, and resilient.

AHDC2025 is a forum for all professionals in the Australian health design industry to share knowledge, develop expertise and build relationships across public and private sectors. 

Stay tuned for more updates as planning commences. 

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2025 Theme: Design for a Changing World

As the world evolves, so must the environments we create for healthcare. AHDC2025 will explore how partnerships drive innovation, ensuring healthcare spaces are not just functional but also health-promoting, accessible, and resilient. We invite discussions on projects and ideas—big and small—that push the boundaries of sustainable, technology-driven, and community-focused design. Our key topics will guide presentations and panels, fostering meaningful discussion and debate.

Climate Resilience in Action

The climate crisis is reshaping healthcare investment. Designers and facility operators are under increasing pressure to reduce carbon footprints, improve resilience measures and resources efficiency to respond to extreme weather and environmental change

How can we prepare for a climate-resilient future in healthcare?

What challenges must Government, industry, and healthcare providers tackle together?

How can we accelerate the adoption of climate-adaptive design in healthcare?


Living in the Technological Future

From AI-driven diagnostics to virtual care, technology is redefining healthcare. Rethinking physical and digital spaces to support emerging care models is imperative to enhance accessibility, efficiency and patient outcomes. Additionally, the growing healthcare workforce deficit is impacting attempts to improve healthcare access.

How can virtual care expand healthcare access for underserved communities?

How is technology reshaping real-world healthcare design projects?

How can we enrich personal interactions and care through technology?


Promoting Healthy Communities

Equitable care goes beyond hospitals, requiring investment in diverse, community-based settings. Health-promotive design can help reduce preventable diseases, improve long-term outcomes, and create inclusive, person-centred spaces.

How is healthcare design evolving to meet the needs of primary care, aged care, disability care, and mental health?

How can healthcare spaces better support carers and families?

How can the built environment foster stronger community engagement in healthcare?


Innovation Through Collaboration

With ageing populations, rising demand, and increasing costs, healthcare investment must be reimagined. Strategic partnerships, integrated precincts, and cost-effective strategies such as refurbishment and adaptive reuse are key to delivering high-value care.

What cost-effective design strategies have the greatest impact on health outcomes?

How can Government and industry collaborate to deliver more accessible, affordable healthcare?

How do we balance affordability with bold innovation in healthcare design?

2025 Conference Committee

  Alison Huynh is a Sydney-based architect and Associate Director at Bates Smart. Her work focuses on the impact of architecture in community health and mental health settings. As AHDC Vice President and Conference Chair, she is looking forward to curating a diverse range of perspectives on how design can positively impact our health.

Dr Anahita Sal Moslehian is a Postdoc Research Fellow at Deakin University’s HOME Research Centre. Her research focuses on health-promoting building design and how architecture can enhance human health, care, and wellbeing. As a member of the AHDC Conference and Research Committees, she is committed to bridging research and practice through evidence-based design, contributing to the future of healthcare environments in Australia.

Anna Fox is a Principal and Architect at STH, based in Adelaide. With experience in healthcare projects across Australia, Canada, Singapore, and New Zealand, she has a strong understanding of functional planning and clinical requirements. Passionate about creating spaces that support healing and wellbeing, she is excited to contribute to the 2025 AHDC conference, helping to shape an engaging program of presentations, site visits, and discussions.
Dario Salvatore is an Architect, Managing Director, and Health Lead at Hodgkison | Architecture | Interiors, working across South Australia and the Northern Territory. As Presiding Member of the Architectural Practice Board of South Australia, he brings extensive experience in urban, regional, and remote healthcare projects. As an AHDC committee member, he is committed to expanding membership in SA and NT and supporting knowledge-sharing in health design.

  Garry Coff is a South Australia-based health planner with 40 years of experience, including 30 years in his own practice. He has consulted on a wide range of healthcare projects across Australia, Southeast Asia, China, and Outer Mongolia. As AHDC Partnership Lead, he is always seeking opportunities to collaborate with organisations developing innovative products, systems, and processes that improve healthcare delivery and support frontline staff.
Julian Ashton is a Principal at BVN with over 25 years of experience leading healthcare projects of various scales and complexities. He is particularly focused on delivering innovative design solutions in hospital settings. As conference committee member, he is keen to explore how the conference can foster inclusivity and collaborative contribution in healthcare design.

Kate Copeland is the Chair of the Australian Health Design Council (AHDC) and former Executive Director at Metro North Health (2016–2024). With a career spanning healthcare planning and capital project delivery since 1996, she has contributed to major hospital developments across Queensland. A past President of the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM), she remains actively involved in ACHSM Queensland Branch Council, the European Health Design Council, and the International Academy for Design and Health.
Dr Sanaz Memari is a researcher and educator at the University of Sydney and Western Sydney University. She holds a PhD in future-proofing hospital building design from Deakin University and was awarded the Graham Treloar Research Prize in 2022 for her work in embodied energy and sustainability. Passionate about climate resilience, adaptability, and future-oriented healthcare environments, she looks forward to contributing to discussions on research-driven strategies for innovative hospital design at the AHDC conference.

Save the Dates

Monday 27 October 2025 - Site Visits and Pre-Conference Events (separate tickets)

Tuesday 28 October 2025 - Conference Day 1 (8am - 5pm) and Cocktail Party (5-7pm)

Wednesday 29 October 2025 - Conference Day 2 (8am - 6pm)


Location

U City Adelaide

43 Franklin St, Adelaide SA 5000

AHDC2024 will be held on the traditional Country of the Kaurna people. The Australian Health Design Council respectfully acknowledges  the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet and work, all around Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge their wisdom, actions and knowledge in caring for the health of Country and People.

More Information

Registration

Event registration will open in April 2025. Early Bird pricing will be available from April to June. 

Conference EOI Process

Expressions of interest for the conference presentations are now open. The Conference sub-committee reviews and selects submissions based on the response to the annual conference theme.

Please review the presentation guidelines before submitting. 

Partnerships

AHDC is supported by our Foundation Partners. Becoming a partner provides opportunities to purchase bulk conference tickets and memberships for your team. To find out more, please check out the Partnership Invitation and contact AHDC Partnerships Lead Garry Coff. 

Note: Sponsors have no editorial control over the conference agenda and do not provide financial or material compensation to presenters. AHDC is a registered non-profit organisation. All funds raised are directed towards conference costs and future AHDC events and initiatives.

Continuing Professional Development

Continuing Professional Development is available for Project Managers, Engineers and Architects. Registered Architects can log formal CPD points for each session attended (1 point/hour). The session Q&A is an opportunity to allow for feedback and discussion to assist in answering the questions. Please check regulations and recommendations of your registration authority. 

To receive a certificate of attendance, please provide the following:

  • Your Full Name, Registration No, and State and a list of Sessions attended.

  • Your review of the sessions including; NSCA units relevant to each session; learning outcomes and key discussion points for each session (Guide: 200 words per session).

Contact Details

If you have any questions or concerns, please email conference@aushdc.org.au

2024 Highlights

What our Attendees Said

2023 Highlights


2022 Highlights


Join the Australian Health Design Council to become a part of the national health design community.

The Australian Health Design Council is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation established in 2011 that provides a forum for all professionals involved in the Australian health design sector to share knowledge, develop expertise, foster research and enhance skills in health facility planning, design and management across both the private and public sectors.

Find out more and become a member at www.aushdc.org.au