EYP Architecture & Engineering named Liyang Zhang (EYP Houston) and Jackson Reed (EYP Denver) 2020-21 Tradewell Fellows. Now in its 23^rd year, EYP’s esteemed Tradewell Fellowship offers a fast-track for Fellows to collaborate with healthcare clients and the firm’s thought leaders, positioning tomorrow's medical planners and designers for rapid career advancement to design, build, and heal.

Zhang says the Tradewell Fellowship is allowing him to interact with hospital users to get feedback and insights on how to improve healthcare design to better meet demands. “Through my study and practice in the field of the healthcare industry, I believe I can impact more lives,” he says. “We are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities in health care. EYP’s Tradewell Fellowship is a terrific opportunity for me to engage in theoretical research and practice simultaneously to create therapeutic and sustainable environments.”

With a master’s degree in architecture and health from Clemson University and a bachelor’s degree from Anhui University of Architecture in China, Zhang had several healthcare internships in the U.S. and China, involving facilities ranging from comprehensive hospitals to continuing-care retirement communities. His research interests include oncology medical centers, ICU design, and urban planning. Zhang’s Tradewell project will focus on ICU design and best practices.

Reed comments that the Tradewell Fellowship allows him to pursue his interest in applying biophilic principles to the design of healthcare facilities, with an emphasis on behavioral health. He enjoys the unique challenges presented by each project and the opportunity to work with “creative and talented people” on the healthcare and design sides. “A couple of years ago, I made the shift to healthcare design, hoping to have greater community impact and help the people who need it most,” he says. “Based on my experiences thus far, I truly believe I have found my passion. I can't imagine a better way to immerse myself in this field and grow in my career than the Tradewell Fellowship.”

With a master’s degree in architecture from Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Reed’s research interests include biophilia, sustainability, and design for mental health and wellness. His Tradewell project will focus on behavioral health and biophilia.

Named in honor of the late Gary Tradewell, a former vice president and medical planner, the Fellowship began in 1997 and has 25 alumni and four retroactive Fellows, many of whom still work at EYP. In addition to being guided by multiple firm mentors—including architects, senior medical planners, designers, and leaders in the field—Tradewell Fellows are included in healthcare projects from the initial planning stages, have direct contact with healthcare clients, and attend a national conference of their choice. They also complete a Tradewell project, taking a deep dive into a research topic.

“We’ve only recently started awarding two fellowships a year,” says EYP Medical Planner and Lead Tradewell Fellowship Curator Renee Fiala (EYP Houston), a former Tradewell Fellow herself. “It’s such a phenomenal experience, we wanted to open it to more participants.”