Healthcare Architecture in 2026: European Standards and Innovation at the SHARE Experts’ Meeting in Bucharest

Romania is facing the largest wave of investment in hospital infrastructure in recent decades. The context created by European funds and the urgent need to modernise existing healthcare facilities have transformed healthcare architecture from a technical niche into a matter of national security. In this complex landscape, the SHARE Experts’ Meeting Healthcare Architecture 2026, organised by SHARE Architects, stands out both as a forum for discussion and as a strategic necessity for professionals in the field.

Under the curatorship of Oana Gavriliu (the founder of Healthcare Design), the international segment of the conference brings to Bucharest an elite group of international and local experts who are redefining global standards. Her vision for this forum was to gather engineers and architects with extensive, hands-on experience in planning and delivering complex hospital projects. Therefore, she created a program that reflects a deliberate balance between architectural excellence and strategic expertise. This framework provides the ideal setting for continuous professional development, allowing specialists to gain a deep understanding of international best practices and translate global insights into locally applicable solutions.

The central objective is not merely to add new healthcare facilities to the list, but to design structures that are resilient in the face of future pandemics, energy-efficient, and, above all, focused on patient care. This mission is translated into a dynamic two-part program which ensures that vision meets practice. The first day (April 20) will be dedicated to “Conversations” sessions. Curated by Oana Gavriliu, this day will focus on global strategies, master planning, and international case studies. On the second day (April 21), the focus will shift to implementation through applied technical workshops. Led by top experts from firms such as BDP, Perkins&Will, and Llewelyn Davies, these workshops transform theoretical concepts into practical tools for the reality of construction sites in Romania.

International expertise for local realities at SHARE Experts’ Meeting in Bucharest

What sets this event apart is the rigorous selection of speakers. Over the years, SHARE Architects has brought together leading figures capable of presenting both theoretical concepts and solutions implemented in multi-billion-euro projects. Here are a few reasons to attend the SHARE Experts’ Meeting, Healthcare Architecture 2026:

• Evidence-Based Design

Renowned international speakers, such as Benedict Zucchi (Principal at BDP) and Sunand Prasad (Principal at Perkins&Will), will introduce the Romanian audience to the concept of evidence-based design. As leading figures at two of the world’s most influential healthcare architecture firms, they will demonstrate how clinically grounded design decisions, from natural light to acoustics, directly reduce patient recovery time and stress among medical staff.

• Expertise in Medical Workflows and Biosecurity

Another highlight of the event is the presence of a key figure in the program, Dr Manjula Meda (UK), president of the Healthcare Infection Society. Through the BEIPI (Built Environment Infection Prevention Initiative), she works directly with design teams to create safe hospitals. Her presentation will address pressing issues, including water system safety and innovative strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the design of the built environment.

• Expertise in Microbiology and Management

Complementing the technical perspective, Joost Hopman (Netherlands), a biosecurity expert trained at Harvard Business School, will offer a critical perspective on how medical microbiology should shape the design of hospital spaces.

• Smart Hospital

A key concept to be addressed will be the integration of BIM (Building Information Modelling) into the design phase and AI-driven facility management. Modern architects and designers believe that these are no longer luxury options (or at least should no longer be considered as such). They are simply efficiency standards that hospital managers in Romania must understand to reduce long-term maintenance costs.

• PPP investment guidance

Another key component of this year’s program focuses on financial sustainability and delivery models for large-scale projects. As Romania seeks effective financing solutions, international experts will provide “PPP investment guidance” by analysing the mechanisms that enable collaboration between the public and private sectors. To illustrate this, Alex Senciuc (Associate Director at Archus, UK) will present healthcare standards and PPP investment guidelines, explaining how local excellence can be translated into economies of scale at the national level.

Leaders in Global Healthcare Design

The guests you’ll see were selected specifically for their impressive track records. You’ll find a lineup of architects who have shaped healthcare systems across Western Europe, bringing to Bucharest the experience of iconic projects such as The New Children’s Hospital in Dublin, the Oak Cancer Centre in London, Alder Hey Children’s Health Park in Liverpool, or the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Global Health Initiative in Greece.

The event fosters essential collaboration between healthcare planners and administrators, accelerating the modernization of the national healthcare system.

All eyes are on Romania and its emerging hospital infrastructure.

Moving away from the broader perspective, the event aims to shift its focus to the local context. Therefore, a major part of the event will consist of highlighting the program’s relevance. Showcasing major hospital projects currently in various stages of implementation across Romania, this section is not merely a portfolio showcase, but a demonstration of how international standards are rigorously adapted to the infrastructure needs of our communities.

• Lugoj Municipal Hospital

A bold project in which the team led by architect Raluca Șoaita (TESSERACT Architecture) applies the anthropological concept of liminality. The purpose is to transform the hospital into a fluid transitional space between the city, nature, and the healing process. 

• Bacău Municipal Pavilion 

This is a strategic investment in the campus of the Bacău County Emergency Hospital. The project, coordinated by the architect Hildegard Brandl (UNITH2B), demonstrates how an existing structure can be converted into a modern medical hub, organised around an interior courtyard that provides natural light and ventilation.

• The new Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centre in Bucharest.

Another focus point and one of the milestones for Romania’s hospital infrastructure is the integrated approach to complex government projects. Gabriel George Dumitrache (Chief Architect at INNOVA / ERBAȘU) will present the project for the new Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centre in Bucharest. This major investment, already in the building permit phase (DTAC), proposes a multidisciplinary facility that includes modern operating rooms, intensive care units, and spaces dedicated to research and university education.

Why Attend the SHARE Experts’ Meeting on Healthcare Architecture 2026

For Romanian professionals involved in hospital design, this event offers a fast track to the latest European regulations and trends. So, who is it for and why:

1. Architects and engineers will have the rare opportunity to get an inside look at successful international projects. During the event, technical details will be discussed regarding state-of-the-art medical equipment, advanced filtration ventilation systems, and fire safety solutions specific to the hospital environment.
2. Hospital directors and those in other managerial roles will have the opportunity to learn why a hospital is a living organism. At the same time, they will learn how to manage the dialogue with architects to achieve a building that is operationally optimised, reducing medical errors through design and optimising doctors’ workflows.

SHARE Healthcare 2026 Is a Must-Attend Event

The presence of international experts who will discuss pressing issues confirms that healthcare architecture can no longer be viewed in isolation. At present, this field is considered more of a hybrid discipline, where microbiological safety, workflow efficiency, and patient psychological comfort must merge seamlessly.

What do you get out of this

• Access to know-how applied to complex concepts;
• Strategic networking, as the event brings together architects, engineers, and hospital managers, facilitates collaborations that can accelerate the modernisation of the national healthcare system.
• Long-term vision, as you will better understand how to transform a hospital from a simple building into a regional economic engine and a benchmark for sustainability.

We invite you to join us in shaping the paradigm shift in healthcare! Reserve your spot at the SHARE Experts’ Meeting on Healthcare Architecture!