The 250-bed, 625,000-sf Mercy Health – West Hospital offers expanded medical services to Cincinnati’s west side at its location along the I-74 corridor. Designed by AECOM and Mic Johnson, FAIA, in association with Cincinnati-based Champlin Architecture, the hospital’s connections between architecture, natural light, and landscape promote healing and root the building in its place while its functional planning is grounded in evidence and focused on maximizing safety, efficiency, energy conservation, and flexibility for the future.
Located on a 60-acre, wooded site, the hospital’s large diagnostic and treatment base is designed to co-locate surgery, imaging, the emergency department, and cardiovascular ICU on one level for greater efficiency between care teams. Two bed towers sit on this interventional platform, which features a living roof covered with native plants – providing an ever-changing view from the patient rooms above. At 2.5 acres, this is the largest green roof in Ohio, and is punctuated with skylights and light wells that bring natural light to staff work areas within the base. Accessible gardens are located adjacent to the front door and at the dining terrace on the lower level. In addition, a rehab terrace for physical therapy is located on the third floor, overlooking the green roof.
Inspired by Ohio’s tradition of art pottery production, the building features a one-of-a-kind exterior wall system – comprising 11 different colors and 19 shapes of glazed brick tiles. The blue-to-green color palette of the building skin pays homage to traditional ceramics glazes, as well as the landform and color of the valleys and hills of the region, merging architecture and landscape throughout the seasons.