The Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing is one of the 55 South Carolina Centers of Economic Excellence (SC CoEE). This Center, based out of Clemson University’s School of Architecture, is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, practitioners and industry experts that conduct design research to improve outcomes in healthcare environments through better architecture and building design. Researchers at this Center study the relationship between the physical healthcare environments and clinical outcomes; population health outcomes; patient, family and staff satisfaction; operational efficiency; and the ability to accommodate change. The Center works with Clemson's Architecture + Health program.
The Center is focused on integrating health and design research into design practice and education to make informed decisions about building design such that it results in improved health outcomes. The research is focused on 'tissue samples' of the most significant healthcare settings where significant patient care and treatment is delivered and where settings are built repeatedly in healthcare facilities and systems.