San Francisco – September 21, 2026 -- Architecture firm NBBJ has partnered with Stanford physician and health economist Dr. Kevin Schulman to redesign hospital campuses for an era of AI-driven care, as health systems commit billions of dollars to facilities meant to operate for decades under uncertain technology trajectories.
Hospitals face multibillion-dollar bets on unpredictable care models
Health systems are currently planning large-scale campuses even as AI, automation and distributed care delivery make it difficult to forecast how medicine will be practiced by the time those buildings open. The partnership targets a specific gap: making long-term real estate investments flexible enough to adapt to care models that do not yet exist.
Stanford economist brings AI-workflow research to design table
Schulman, a Professor of Medicine and, by courtesy, Professor of Operations, Information and Technology at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, has focused recent research on integrating AI into clinical workflows and building new economic models for AI-enabled care. His role pairs financial and technological analysis with NBBJ's design track record.
NBBJ works with 75% of top-ranked U.S. hospitals
NBBJ partners with 75% of the health systems on the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll and has previously helped clients develop prefabrication, modular planning, resilience and sustainability approaches for healthcare facilities. Ryan Hullinger, Partner at NBBJ, said the collaboration aims to help clients make informed decisions about campus investments given AI's growing influence on clinical operations and staffing.
Program addresses cost pressures, workforce shortages and care migration
Through lectures, working sessions and design explorations, Schulman and NBBJ are examining information overload, patient flow bottlenecks, rising operating costs, workforce pressures and the shift of care delivery outside traditional hospital walls.
Client briefings begin this fall, program runs through 2027
NBBJ and Schulman will start presenting early findings to healthcare clients this fall, with the broader initiative continuing into 2027.