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At the Inspiration Center, architects and designers can explore possibilities, experiment with materials, and engage with a cohesive portfolio spanning KI, KI Wall, and Pallas Textiles in new and unexpected ways.

The new KI Inspiration Center at 1045 West Fulton is conceived as a creative engine for architects, interior designers and design thinkers. Image courtesy of KI April 13, 2026 – KI, manufacturer of innovative furniture for education, healthcare, government, and corporate markets around the world, is marking a bold evolution of the company’s presence in the design community with the upcoming opening of its new Inspiration Center in Chicago’s vibrant Fulton Market district.

April 10, 2026 — Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) of Houston, Texas, has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 59th annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA). The award comes for the Building M61 Boiler Addition project at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas.

The EX steam boiler can go from a cold start to full steam output in less than five minutes. Image courtesy of Miura April 9, 2026 – Healthcare facilities rely heavily on steam, and when steam production stops, numerous essential services are affected, including sterilization, HVAC, laundry, food service, and critical care support systems. The Miura America EX Series dual-fuel steam boiler was designed with these crucial operating pressures in mind.

Graphic courtesy of AHA March 11, 2026 — The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently released the latest edition of its annual Costs of Caring report, which shows that hospitals and health systems continue to face increases in the costs of people, supplies, medicines and infrastructure needed to provide care and services to their communities. The report outlines key factors that are putting pressure on hospitals as they care for patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Franklin Residential Care Facility & Behavioral Health Clinic, Riverside, CA, designed by Gensler. Image courtesy of Marberry Last week at an event hosted by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Institute of Architects Chicago (AIA Chicago), I heard architects and designers talk about one of my favorite subjects: healthcare design.

The system’s capabilities include autonomous ingredient storage and retrieval, precision cooking, automated plating and serving, and self-cleaning functionality. Image courtesy of WellSpan Health. Click to enlarge. April 8, 2026 — Of particular interest to institutional facility managers exploring automated services for their dining facilities, WellSpan Health recently announced the launch of Fresh Take Eatery, a brand-new robotic dining system at WellSpan York Hospital.

Through AWS Marketplace, organizations can purchase and renew certified Planon solutions optimized for AWS Cloud. Image courtesy of Planon April 8, 2026 — Planon, a leading provider of smart, sustainable building management software, has just announced that its Integrated Workplace Management Solution (IWMS) is now available in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace.

As facility owners, managers and designers navigate tightening global regulations on carbon emissions and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), refrigerant selection has become a critical decision affecting compliance, sustainability, and future-readiness of system designs. Highly engineered composite refrigerants, like R-444A, offer a compelling option for chiller and low-pressure heat pump system designers seeking superior energy efficiency and satisfactory cooling capacity.

April 7, 2026 — AHF Products has just announced the launch of Crossville Cleve, a carbon-neutral porcelain tile collection that captures the character of quartzite while delivering the performance, beauty and durability required for today’s built environments. “Interest in natural stone aesthetics continues to rise as consumers seek authenticity, tactility and biophilic materials,” noted Terri Marion, Product Manager.