Designing the Future of Rural Healthcare
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Student Design Competition, sponsored by OFS and Carolina. The annual competition allows design students to highlight their creativity and vision while also gathering insights and experience with leaders of the industry. This year’s design challenge asked entrants to design a primary care clinic in a rural community of Northwest Montana.
“We view this competition as a vital barometer for the future of our industry, showcasing the critical role of design in bridging the gap between healthcare and human experience,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO, Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA. “The applicants displayed an exceptional capacity for strategic problem-solving, offering fresh, evocative perspectives that will undoubtedly help shape the future of the built environment.”
Entries were juried by a panel of design professionals including Hollander Design Group CEO/Founder/Design Principal, Viveca Bissonnette, FIIDA, CDF; HDR Senior Designer of Interiors, Kelley Dorsett, IIDA; Hendrick Senior Interior Designer II, Tara Headley, IIDA; OFS Director of Marketing, Healthcare, Carolina, Laura Morgan; and Little Diversified Architectural Consulting Design Partner, Jim Thompson, IIDA, AIA.
“The jury was profoundly impressed by how these students navigated the complexities of rural healthcare, delivering solutions that were both clinically advanced and deeply empathetic to the patient experience,” said Dorsett on behalf of the jury. “The winning projects represent an exceptional standard of creative problem-solving, showcasing a design maturity that artfully balances technical precision with a restorative, high-performance environment.”
The 2026 Student Design Competition winners are:
First Place
Deborah Wroblewski
George Washington University, D.C. (District of Columbia)
Project: Uplift Primary Care Clinic
Second Place
Kelsey Kamerling and Elise Hewitt
Kirkwood Community College, Mount Vernon, Iowa
Project: Care That Belongs
Third Place
Grace Becton
George Washington University, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, D.C. (District of Columbia)
Project: The Grove Primary Care Clinic
Honorable Mentions
Alexa Condento and Lilly Gleaton
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Project: Pondera Health
Haoen Chen and Yu-Hsien Tsao
National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Project: HEARTH Primary Care Clinic
Gabby Gilden
George Washington University, D.C. (District of Columbia)
Project: Juniper Primary Care
OFS and Carolina provide the first, second, and third place winners with a financial prize of $2,500, $1,500, and $750 respectively. All Student Design Competition winning projects can be viewed here.
For more information or questions in regard to this or other IIDA design competitions, please contact competitions@IIDA.org.
About IIDA
IIDA is the commercial interior design association with global reach. We support design professionals, industry affiliates, educators, students, firms, and their clients through our global network of members across 58 countries. We advocate for advancements in education, design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of interior design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well-being of people’s lives every day. IIDA.org.