A Life Spent Designing Health, Hope, and Opportunity
DSGW honors architect Rebecca Lewis, FAIA, FACHA, CID—trailblazer in rural and Indigenous healthcare design—recipient of ACHA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) has honored our colleague and friend Rebecca J. Lewis, FAIA, FACHA, CID, with its Lifetime Achievement Award—a recognition that perfectly reflects her life’s work.
Ryan Turner, principal of DSGW Architecture, was in attendance: “We were honored that Rebecca’s husband, Jeff, accepted the award on her behalf. Jeff walked alongside Rebecca through every chapter of her career, and we’re grateful he was able to share this moment with all of us as we celebrated the impact she made.”
For more than three decades, Rebecca shaped DSGW’s healthcare design practice with compassion, humility, and a deep belief that everyone deserves access to quality care, no matter how small the community or how remote the location.
From Grand Marais to Minneapolis, Mora, Pine City, and the White Earth Nation, her designs continue to serve thousands every day across the Upper Midwest.
Designing for Rural Communities
Rebecca dedicated her career to expanding healthcare access in rural and Indigenous areas. She led the planning and design of many of DSGW’s cornerstone healthcare projects, including:
- Welia Health in Mora and Pine City, MN – transforming two regional campuses to meet growing community needs.
- North Shore Health in Grand Marais, MN – a project Rebecca called one of her proudest moments, designed to provide private patient rooms and an efficient emergency department that became vital during COVID-19.
- Indian Health Board’s Menaandawiwe Wellness Campus in Minneapolis – blending medical care and traditional healing in a modern setting.
- Naytahwaush Health Center for the White Earth Nation – where Rebecca’s ability to listen deeply shaped a culturally resonant design for a rural community.
- Aspirus St. Luke’s Clinics throughout northern Wisconsin and Minnesota – where her compassion and technical expertise created healing environments that continue to serve patients today.
Her work went beyond buildings. For over 20 years, she served on the Facilities Guidelines Institute (FGI) Health Guidelines Revision Committee, where she championed the needs of small and critical-access hospitals. Many of today’s healthcare standards reflect her thoughtful advocacy for equitable design.
“Rebecca was always open to changing direction and evaluating alternate options that ultimately produced the very best facilities for us at Welia.”
– Randy Ulseth, CEO, Welia Health
“Her design for North Shore Health allowed us to serve safely through the pandemic, and our community still feels her presence in the spaces she created.”
– Kimber Wraalstad, CEO, North Shore Health
“Rebecca designed many facilities for Aspirus St. Luke’s that continue to serve patients throughout the region. With sincere compassion and a unique understanding of healthcare settings, she was able to translate operational requirements into healing environments that best serve the needs of each patient. An enduring legacy, indeed.”
– Michael Boeselager, VP of Support Services, Aspirus St. Luke’s
A Leader Who Lifted Others
Rebecca was a founding member and the first woman president of the ACHA, helping the organization gain national recognition from the American Institute of Architects. Yet she never sought the spotlight. Her leadership style was rooted in quiet confidence and collaboration.
She co-founded the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health’s Colleague to Colleague Mentorship Program and helped launch the ACHA Student Healthcare Design Competition—renamed in 2024 as the Rebecca Lewis Student Healthcare Design Competition in her honor.
“Working alongside Rebecca was a powerful mentorship experience. Her bright light and collaborative spirit will be deeply missed, but her legacy continues to shine.”
– Mike Laverdure, Managing Principal, First American Design Studio, DSGW
Her Legacy Continues
Rebecca passed away in 2023, but her influence is still felt every day at DSGW and throughout the field of healthcare design. Her work made an impact across the Upper Midwest and beyond—advancing standards, inspiring new architects, and leaving communities stronger.
She often said,
“Please help others if you can, especially those with limited options.”
Those simple words continue to guide our firm and the projects we take on.
The ACHA Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes what we already knew:
Rebecca Lewis didn’t just design buildings — she designed better lives.
Learn more about DSGW’s healthcare design work across the Upper Midwest.