OhioHealth Neuroscience Wellness Center

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

Perched at the edge of a forest preserve, a first-of-its-kind wellness center supports people with neurological conditions through holistic, nature-connected care.

Location

Columbus, Ohio

Client

OhioHealth

Expertise

Healthcare Brand Design

Opportunity

OhioHealth sought to extend neurological care beyond treatment with a dedicated place supporting physical and cognitive health, independence, and community.

Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and multiple sclerosis can affect mobility, cognition, independence, and quality of life. OhioHealth saw an opportunity to expand its continuum of care beyond clinical treatment, giving people access to exercise, education, rehabilitation, emotional support, and specialized expertise. The organization envisioned a new kind of destination where individuals with different abilities could build skills, manage their conditions, and connect with caregivers and others navigating similar experiences in an environment designed specifically around neurological needs.

Why This Matters

01
Whole-Person Support
Neurological care extends beyond appointments and treatment. Exercise, education, emotional support, and social connection can all play important roles in an individual’s ongoing wellness journey.
02
Designed for Different Abilities
Neurological conditions can affect movement, balance, cognition, and sensory processing, requiring environments that accommodate a wide range of abilities and experiences.
03
Supporting Care Networks
Bringing individuals, caregivers, clinicians, and community resources together creates opportunities for learning and ongoing support.

FPO Quote

Solution

Movement and nature became organizing principles of the design, shaping an accessible environment where people of varying abilities have equal access to the surrounding landscape.

Positioned along a ridge overlooking the forest and wetland, the low, linear building opens outward, drawing the landscape into a central courtyard. An interior walking track connects wellness studios, learning and support spaces, and the Gerlach Clinic, offering treetop views along the way. Exercise studios incorporate overhead harnessing for balance support, while intuitive wayfinding, controlled daylight, quiet and active zones, and subtle material transitions respond to neurological needs. Nature trails and outdoor spaces extend the experience beyond the building.

From brief to build: how stakeholder engagement, user journeys, and site analysis shaped a new environment for neurological wellness.

Beginning in 2017, Gensler worked with clinicians, administrators, community members, caregivers, and people living with neurological conditions to define the center’s program and vision. Workshops and visioning sessions helped identify its site on the Riverside campus, where the forest and wetland became fundamental to the design concept. User journey exercises and virtual reality visualization allowed the team to test circulation, accessibility, sensory conditions, and program relationships, while flexible planning anticipated different abilities and changing needs over time.

Designing Around Nature

Workshops identified the forest and wetland as key assets, shaping building orientation, views, and courtyard connections.

Impact

The center expands OhioHealth’s continuum of neurological care, giving people a place to build skills, pursue wellness, and connect beyond clinical treatment.

Clinical services, exercise, education, nutrition, and community programs now come together in an environment designed specifically around neurological needs.

What Changed Because of This

01
Expanded Care
The center gives people with neurological conditions access to exercise, education, wellness, and support programs alongside clinical services in one dedicated destination.
02
Greater Independence
Accessible circulation, intuitive wayfinding, adaptable exercise environments, and carefully controlled sensory conditions support people with different abilities as they navigate the center.
03
Community Connection
Shared spaces, educational programs, walking trails, and outdoor areas create opportunities for patients, caregivers, staff, and community members to connect.

Recognition

01

Healthcare Design

Highlighted the center’s nature-connected design and specialized environments, supporting people with neurological conditions and their caregivers.

02

Architect Magazine

Featured as a 2023 AIA Healthcare Design Award winner for its patient-centered design.

03

Columbus Business First

Highlighted the center as a new model of wellness and support for neurological patients.

Team

Project Leadership

[FPO] Sean McGuire

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[FPO] Brian Watson

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[FPO] Gretchen Kelly

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FAQ

01

How can healthcare organizations support neurological patients beyond traditional treatment?

The center combines clinical care with wellness, education, exercise, and support programs that help individuals manage conditions over the long term.

02

Why was nature so important to the design?

The site’s forest and wetland became integral to the building’s organization with views, trails, outdoor spaces, and a central courtyard connecting people to the landscape.

03

What makes this facility different from a typical healthcare building?

The center brings clinical services together with exercise, education, wellness, and community programs in a freestanding environment specifically designed around neurological needs.

04

How does the design accommodate people with neurological conditions?

Intuitive wayfinding, clear circulation, controlled daylight, subtle material transitions, quiet and active zones, and adaptable exercise spaces accommodate different physical and sensory needs.

05

How does the facility support caregivers and families?

Learning, gathering, and support spaces give caregivers and families opportunities to access resources, participate in programs, and connect with others.

06

How can healthcare spaces accommodate changing patient abilities?

Flexible studios, movable partitions, adaptable equipment infrastructure, and accessible circulation allow spaces to support different abilities, activities, and program needs over time.

Related Work

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Related Expertise

Healthcare Brand Design

Perched at the edge of a forest preserve, a first-of-its-kind wellness center supports people with neurological conditions through holistic, nature-connected care.

OhioHealth sought to extend neurological care beyond treatment with a dedicated place supporting physical and cognitive health, independence, and community.

Why This Matters

Movement and nature became organizing principles of the design, shaping an accessible environment where people of varying abilities have equal access to the surrounding landscape.

From brief to build: how stakeholder engagement, user journeys, and site analysis shaped a new environment for neurological wellness.

The center expands OhioHealth’s continuum of neurological care, giving people a place to build skills, pursue wellness, and connect beyond clinical treatment.

What Changed Because of This