MetroHealth - The Glick Center

Enduring Community Investment 

MetroHealth’s new acute care hospital, The Glick Center, is central to the transformational campus plan to bring hope and healing to the community by reorienting the hospital to connect to, and be a part of, the neighborhood. This beautiful forward-thinking facility streamlines staff efficiency and improves patient care using Lean and evidence-based, data-driven planning and design while being rooted in MetroHealth’s vision to offer the community state of the art services, with equitable and research-based care.  

The campus transformation plan and concept for the new tower envisioned both a ‘hospital in a park’ and a ‘hospital as a park’.  The design draws inspiration from its current setting on the curve of the highway and evokes the design of the original public hospital and regional geology. Sited with the narrowest part facing the neighborhood, the white terracotta façade reaches up to the sky to create a visible, welcoming beacon of hope, with a texture of fading waves that suggest nearby Lake Erie. As the campus is completed, the hospital will be surrounded by 25 acres of landscaped parks to support a people-oriented neighborhood.  

Inside, the design takes inspiration from the neighborhood and the natural world to bring a sense of inclusion, belonging, and well-being. Visitors and staff are welcomed by bright colors, open spaces, daylight, and views, biophilic elements, and art. The interplay of light and shadow found in tree canopies is abstracted in the design through numerous skylights, and textured wall tile. Art anchors the connection to the community with most of the pieces by local artists. In addition to visual art, the first-floor dining space doubles as a performance area hosting local dancers and musicians, mimicking informal park-like activities. Additional park details include green grass-like carpeting with undefined edges, cartography in the terrazzo, picnic patterns in the servery, and a large, simulated window with views of the Ohio landscape. 

On the staff and care side of the hospital, the universal, flexible, and adaptable planning response is most evident. From the interventional platform to the 312 patient beds, each space can adapt to accept changes and advancements in technology and care delivery so MetroHealth can continue to serve the community and their mission for generations to come.  

Resilience Project Story

The outcome of a research-driven, collaborative design process, the goal was to design a cost-effective, sustainable, and patient-focused hospital. The new site needed to allow for a robust degree of flexibility and adaptability, considering events and operations that may occur 50 years into the future. To that end, resilience planning was conducted before and throughout the design process.

The team modeled baseline and anticipated use of steam and demand for heating and cooling to determine peak system loads and equipment sizing considerations. Then, using a resilience assessment tool, the team determined the greatest risks to hospital patients, business services, and physical assets. These included severe thunderstorms, water, and electrical failures. Resulting resilience strategies included built-in redundant systems that exceed code requirements and ensure continuous operations in case of utility or equipment failure, and robust emergency power systems with multiple generators. Efficient process and equipment design provide reliable and resilient power to support mission critical operations while highly efficient infrastructure systems reduce energy, heat and water usage, resulting in significant savings: 51% gas reduction, 66 EUI reduction, 1,900 MT C02 reduction, and 45,800 mmbtu reduction.