Francesca Simoni
M. Arch, ARB, RIBA
Director, Health Sciences, UK
Francesca Simoni has dedicated her career to healthcare architecture across the globe. Her philosophy and focus are to improve the patient and staff experience by placing them at the core of design. She believes in creating healing environments that reduce stress, contribute to well-being and respond to the local health system. The greatest opportunity in modern healthcare design is to make healthcare facilities less institutionalized, more welcoming for patients, visitors and staff, and more integrated with the community.
Her international project experience includes award-winning large complex tertiary care facilities, cancer centers and children’s hospitals in Italy, UK and Canada. She takes a holistic approach to every project, enhancing her problem-solving skills with the use of BIM and 3D virtual tools to support effective designs that considers functionality, program and user experience. Francesca and her team are currently working as lead designer on the Strategic Outline Case for two large new hospital facilities, part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme. These transformational projects, both targeting net zero carbon, will set the course for the future of healthcare design, clinical services and sustainability.
Francesca loves hiking and cycling around England. As an outdoor enthusiastic, she understands the key role that access to outdoors plays in the well-being of patients and staff. She champions the integration of nature and views to landscapes within the built environment, when designing for health.