American College of Healthcare Architects

What American College of Healthcare Architects does

The American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) is a private, member-governed professional certification organization founded in 1999-2000 to certify licensed architects who specialize in healthcare design. Its sole product is board certification, achieved through a structured Candidate Program that includes portfolio submission, reference evaluation, and a competency exam administered by an independent psychometric testing firm. ACHA's authority rests on its exclusive recognition as the first and only specialty area of architectural practice formally acknowledged by the American Institute of Architects (under a 2008 MOU) and on its 2019 endorsement by the American Society of Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association. As of 2025, ACHA's certified population exceeds 600 architects working across large and small firms in the U.S. and Canada.

ACHA does not operate a proprietary technology platform. The credentialing workflow is supported by a third-party recertification and registry tool (Certemy), and the public-facing Hire a Board Certified Architect Directory functions as a lead-generation and credential-verification utility for healthcare organizations and project owners. Adjacent offerings include the Summer Leadership Summit co-hosted with AIA/AAH, the Rebecca Lewis Student Design Competition, Industry Insights content (white papers and newsletters), and a Lifetime Achievement Award — none of which constitute a technology product. The organization is governed by a Board of Regents and operates from the Kansas City metropolitan area (913 area code).

ACHA generates revenue through individual architect fees across the certification lifecycle — application, portfolio review, exam, and annual recertification (the latter functioning as a recurring subscription component) — supplemented by event registrations, content/program revenue, and minor merchandise (logo apparel via Lands' End). The primary customer segment is licensed healthcare architects in the U.S. and NCARB-reciprocal jurisdictions; a secondary buyer segment comprises healthcare organizations, health systems, government agencies (notably the VA), and project owners who use the ACHA Directory to source credentialed professionals.

Name

American College of Healthcare Architects

Legal name

American College of Healthcare Architects

Website

https://healtharchitects.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The American College of Healthcare Architects is a private professional certification organization that board-certifies licensed architects specializing in healthcare facility design through a psychometric exam and annual recertification, serving approximately 600 architects across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Services

akta.pro primary industry

Programmatic Accreditors (Discipline/Profession-Specific) (EDADACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Architecture, Planning & Surveying (AIA, Planning, Land Surveyor CE) (EDAAALAG)

Keywords

• Healthcare architecture certification
• Professional board certification
• Architect competency standards
• Specialty architectural practice
• Healthcare design credentials

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Certification Fees: Architects pay fees for the certification process including application, portfolio submission, exam, and annual recertification. The recertification process includes annual continuing education requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) administers the only specialty board certification for healthcare architects recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and endorsed by the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE). The certification process includes portfolio review, reference evaluation, and a rigorous competency exam administered by an independent testing agency, with annual recertification and continuing education requirements. ACHA also operates a hire-an-architect directory, professional development events, and a student design competition.

Product overview

ACHA offers a unified certification ecosystem for healthcare architects, built around its core Board Certification program. The certification process includes a Candidate Program, Exam Preparation, and Portfolio Submission components. Beyond certification, ACHA provides professional development through the Summer Leadership Summit, publishes Industry Insights including white papers on topics like AI in healthcare facilities, and administers awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award and Presidential Citation. Supporting services include the Certemy recertification platform, a directory for hiring certified architects, and branded merchandise through ACHA Logo Wear. The Rebecca Lewis Student Design Competition engages emerging talent in the field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Board Certification for Healthcare Architects ACHA's primary certification offering that validates healthcare architects have met approved education and experience requirements, passed a rigorous competency exam, and recertify annually. Certification is available to U.S. architects and those in countries with NCARB reciprocal licensure.
• Summer Leadership Summit Annual leadership conference bringing together ACHA-certified healthcare architects and industry stakeholders for professional development and networking.
• Certemy Recertification & Updates Platform service for certificants to manage annual recertification, continuing education tracking, and credential updates.
• Hire a Board Certified Architect Directory Directory service connecting healthcare organizations, health systems, and government agencies with ACHA-certified architects for healthcare facility project hiring. Includes downloadable Sample Request for Proposal.
• ACHA Logo Wear Official branded merchandise store offering ACHA logo apparel and items to certificants and supporters through Lands' End.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Veterans Administration Construction and Facilities Management (CFM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ACHA partnered with VA CFM to improve healthcare delivery to veterans via a yearlong Task Force. The resulting Rapid Deployment Health Utility Base (RD-HUB) is a new strategy for bringing primary care to Veterans in rural and urban areas.
• American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019ASHE endorsed ACHA Certification in 2019, recognizing the value of board-certified healthcare architects within the healthcare engineering community.
• American Institute of Architects (AIA) - Academy of Architecture for HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008AIA formally recognized ACHA Certification as the first and only area of specialty architectural practice through an MOU executed in 2008. This recognition is the highest form of professional endorsement in the architecture field.
• Center for Health DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of ACHA's industry partners that unites to support the advancement of healthcare architecture. The Center for Health Design focuses on research and evidence-based design in healthcare environments.
• Facility Guidelines InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner supporting the advancement of healthcare architecture. FGI develops guidelines for the design and construction of health facilities.
• Foundation for Health Environments ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner focused on research at the intersection of health and the built environment. Collaborates with ACHA on the annual FunRaiser Social event.
• Nursing Institute for Healthcare DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner bringing nursing perspective to healthcare design. Supports interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare architecture.
• Lands' EndminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLands' End store used for ACHA logo merchandise and apparel sales to certificants and supporters.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Center for Health Design: A not-for-profit research organization focused on improving health outcomes through evidence-based design. Listed as an ACHA industry partner and shares the mission of advancing healthcare architecture through research, education, and standards.
• Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI): Sets the guidelines used for design and construction of healthcare facilities in the US. As an ACHA industry partner, FGI's standards are foundational to ACHA's competency exam and certificant expertise.
• EDAC (Evidence-based Design Accreditation and Certification): Another credentialing program for healthcare design professionals (specifically the EDAC credential). EDAC focuses on evidence-based design while ACHA focuses on the broader practice of healthcare architecture; together they form the two main individual certifications in healthcare design.

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association: A larger professional society for healthcare facility professionals. ASHE endorsed ACHA certification in 2019 and serves as a related credentialing/community organization within the broader healthcare built environment ecosystem.
• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB): Manages licensure reciprocity for architects across US jurisdictions and internationally. ACHA explicitly gates its certification to architects holding NCARB-recognized licensure, making NCARB an essential upstream credentialing body.
• Construction Specifications Institute (CSI): Another membership and certification organization serving the built environment. CSI's certifications (CDT, CCS, CCCA) operate under a similar member-funded, exam-based credentialing model for construction professionals.
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI): Administers the LEED credentialing program for green building professionals. Operates as a comparable third-party credentialing organization that monetizes certification and continuing education within the architecture space.
• American Institute of Architects (AIA): The principal professional organization for licensed architects in the US. AIA formally recognized ACHA certification as the only specialty area of architectural practice through a 2008 MOU, making AIA a key endorsement partner.

Others

• US Green Building Council (USGBC): Owns the LEED green building rating system and contracts with GBCI for credentialing. Comparable to ACHA as a private standards/credentialing organization whose certifications influence design decisions in healthcare construction.
• American Hospital Association (AHA): National trade association for hospitals and health systems and parent of ASHE. AHA's hospital membership represents the buyer side of healthcare architecture services that ACHA-certified architects serve.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrwyIPqnMPOb2KIIcNQ-MwA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-college-of-healthcare-architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American College of Healthcare Architects