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Made
possible by the generous sponsorship of .jpg)
In 1961 James J. Souder, AIA, had a
vision of building a program that would encourage students in
schools of architecture and young architects to develop and refine
their interests in the design of hospitals. Souder, a
partner in the hospital design firm of Kiff, Colean,
Voss and Souder, was also a member of the AIA Committee on
Hospital Architecture. He met with the president and other officers
of the American Hospital Association (AHA) to explore the
feasibility of having the two organizations cosponsor the concept.
As an outgrowth of these initial discussions, it was later agreed
that each organization would provide $3,000 to launch the new
fellowship.
The program was modeled after the Mangus T. Hopper Fellowship
Program at Yale University. The new program was identified as the
AHA/AIA Fellowship in Health Facility Planning and Design, and it
was agreed that the American Hospital Association would provide
support staff for the program. It was further agreed that the
fellows would be selected each year by a committee of AHA and AIA
representatives on the basis of study and travel proposals
submitted by young architects and graduate students in accredited
U.S.-based architecture schools.
The initial goal was simply “to encourage young architects and
students to enter the specialized field of hospital planning.”
Later this goal was expanded to include the following
objectives:
- To increase architecture students' awareness of the
special requirements and nature of healthcare facilities
- To attract talented young architects to this challenging area
of professional practice
- To advance the knowledge of planning and design for healthcare
environments
During the past 44 years, 100 graduate fellows have been
selected and awarded fellowships. Of those, 89 were awarded to
students completing their academic work in architecture or a
closely related field. Eleven were awarded to individuals who had
already received professional degrees in architecture or who were
associated with architecture firms or healthcare
organizations.
Students representing more than 32 schools have received
fellowships (for 10 of the fellowship recipients, their
“University of Record” is unknown). Most of these
recipients were postgraduate recipients and were working
professionally at the time of submission.
Topics have varied widely over the years. Some have addressed
technology, such as MRI, computerized diagnostics, or telemedicine.
Others have dealt with planning subjects such as managing
healthcare information, regulatory measures, design standards and
feasibility studies in fire and life safety, cost containment in
health facilities, and comparisons of the health systems of
different nations. Topics as diverse as the future of healthcare
delivery, building innovations, clinical programs, care for
children, neonates, bioterrorism and housing for the aged have been
included as well.
Although many individuals have been involved with the Fellowship
program over the years, two individuals have had the greatest
impact on the program:
- James J. Souder, AIA, FAAHC (1911–1999), an architect and
hospital consultant who spearheaded the establishment of the
program under the AIA/AAH. The Souder Award, initiated in 1999, is
now an annual award to honor the memory of Jim Souder. It is
awarded to the Fellow who presents the best work done during his or
her fellowship. The award consists of a check for $1,000 and a
commemorative certificate. The fellowship committee believes this
not only rewards the best work but that it also becomes an
incentive to more applicants and for better research.
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- Arthur N. Tuttle Jr., AIA (1931–2003), a University of
Oklahoma architecture professor. Through Tuttle’s committed
leadership to the program over the years, the annual funding for
the Fellowship grew from $1,500 to more than $27,000. Many past
Fellowship recipients are forever indebted to his memory
because of his gentle guidance and constant mentoring. In 2003 the
fellowship was renamed the AIA Arthur N. Tuttle Jr. Graduate
Fellowship in Health Facility Planning and Design in
his honor.
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