Architecture in Healthcare 2026
COMMITTEE CHAIR BIOS
Alison is a licensed architect and Senior Associate at CO Architects. She uses her diverse experience in higher education, science & technology, and K-12 projects to design and manage large healthcare projects across Southern California. A dedicated leader, she enjoys efficiently guiding complex projects to completion while creating impactful healthcare environments through innovation in project delivery, team building, and sustainable practices. She is also passionate about mentoring the next generation, promoting inclusivity in the profession, and using architecture to connect the greater Los Angeles community. Originally from South Carolina, Alison received her Master of Architecture degree from Clemson University, relocating to LA in 2016.
Adela is a healthcare designer with an interdisciplinary background in robotics, human–technology interaction, psychology, and architectural practice. Her early research on human–robot engagement and smart urban systems shaped the systems-driven, behavior-focused perspective she brings to healthcare environments today. After earning her Master of Architecture from UCLA, she gained experience in education environments before transitioning fully into healthcare, where she now designs acute and ambulatory renovations, imaging environments, and multi-phase clinical spaces at Zakian Woo Architects for major Los Angeles health systems. She is EDAC-certified, a LEED AP BD+C, and holds Harvard Business School’s Negotiation Mastery certificate, grounding her work in human behavior, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the psychological and operational forces shaping the future of care delivery.
Past Chair
Ken Downing, AIA
Associate Consultant, Light Build Design
Ken Downing is a collaborative lighting consultant who empowers other architects with inspiring solutions, educates lighting designers on the newest technologies, advises industry leading manufacturers on fixture design, and advocates for diverse clients. He is dedicated to continuous learning and mentoring others with a deeply personal commitment to healthcare and education through innovative evidence based best practice lighting design. He currently works at Light Build Design advising southern CA clients working globally and has also judged the IES lighting awards three times.
