1. Planetree
Lifetime Achievement Award
Marc Schweitzer
Marc Schweitzer has always been passionate about the architectural and interior
design of healing spaces. While working on his Masters of Architecture at the
University of California, Berkeley, Marc studied with the renowned professor,
Roslyn Lindheim. Roz served as advisor for his master's thesis on creating healing
environments. Roz later became a founding board member of Planetree and
architect of the first Planetree model unit. Following her death, shortly after the first
unit opened, Marc volunteered to carry on her work, designing Planetree's four
additional model sites, including San Jose Hospital, Mid-Columbia, Delano
Regional and Beth Israel Medical Centers. Through his work he developed, defined
and expanded the Planetree design principles, translating them into a variety of
settings, including emergency departments and critical care areas. He worked with
Candace Ford to design the second Planetree Health Library in a restored Victorian
house in San Jose. His work can also be seen at Bergan Mercy of Alegent Health
and at Highline Medical Center. Marc has also served as a Planetree consultant for
many additional sites, including Longmont and Fauquier, inspiring and educating
other architects and design teams in Planetree's principles.
In the tradition of Roz Lindheim, Marc often stayed overnight on the hospital units he designed to more
fully appreciate the patient's perspective. Marc has always believed that hospitals are emotional spaces
and need to provide places to both celebrate and grieve.
Marc is a senior architect with The Design Partnership, specializing in staff participation and consensus
building, as well as the human interface with design. He remains at the forefront of standards of evi-
dence-based design and current research.
In addition to his outstanding work in healthcare, Marc is accomplished in the area of historic restora-
tion. He served as a director for the non-profit Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage and
has won numerous awards for his work. He also brings his expertise in healing environments into work-
place settings and has designed Charles Schwab Headquarters in Denver, San Jose International Airport
Corporate Offices and the Chancery Offices of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco.
He has published many articles, including co-authoring the white-paper, “Healing Spaces: Elements of
Environmental Design that Impact Health,” published as a supplement to the Journal of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine in October, 2004. He is an international speaker on Planetree design.
Marc brings passion and compassion to his work, as well as wisdom and dedication. Please join us in
honoring the outstanding the contributions of Marc Schweitzer.
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