The Cleveland Clinic
The Cleveland Clinic has long been committed to functional medicine and holistic personalized patient care, a mission that complements the WELL™ Building Standard’s core values. The clinic earned WELL Certification at the Silver Level for its Center for Functional Medicine Suite — only the second WELL Certified project in Ohio.
The Cleveland Clinic is dedicated to constructing healthy and environmentally sustainable buildings and understands that facets of our environment interact with personal, genetic and behavioral factors to shape our overall health and well-being.
According to Christopher Connell, Chief Design Officer at Cleveland Clinic, “We have made healthy environments a priority. Utilizing the WELL Building Standard is a continuation of that, and we are proud to have our first WELL Certified space at Cleveland Clinic.”
At a glance:
Preconditions achieved
Optimizations achieved
Certification level
How does WELL align with the mission or values of your organization?
“Functional medicine is a natural fit for this new building standard, as we are constantly assessing how lifestyle and environmental factors affect our well-being,” said Mark Hyman, MD, Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine. “In functional medicine, we want to help people thrive – and that should start right when a patient or caregiver walks through our door. This space demonstrates our dedication to optimizing health.”
Connell added, “Cleveland Clinic is committed to supporting health through our buildings by providing a therapeutic and consistent environment for our patients and caregivers that addresses the link between a person’s wellness and their built environment.”
LIGHT
Feature 54: Circadian Lighting
Intent: To support circadian health by setting a minimum threshold for daytime light intensity.
Lighting was designed to minimize disruption to the body’s circadian system, enhance productivity and provides appropriate visual acuity. The workstations in the suite contain task lights and under cabinet lighting in addition to dimming controls and reflectors.
COMFORT
Feature 73: Ergonomics: Visual and Physical
Intent: To reduce physical strain and maximize ergonomic comfort and safety.
All workstations contain adjustable computer screens and chairs, as well as several sit-stand desks.
AIR
Feature 04: VOC Reduction
Intent: To minimize the effect of VOCs in building materials on indoor air quality
The interior paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, flooring and furniture have low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
What are the most innovative or stand-out aspects of your WELL project?
“From the artwork to the carpet to the shape of the desks, when designing this space, we thought about how each feature affects a patient or caregiver, and worked to incorporate health and wellness into all aspects of the design,” said Tawny Jones, administrator for the Center for Functional Medicine, who was integral in the design of the suite. Some of these designs include:
- Low levels of harmful air pollutants: The interior paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, flooring, and furniture have low or no VOCs.
- The project team worked to design lighting that minimizes disruption to the body’s circadian system, enhance productivity and provide appropriate visual acuity. The workstations in the suite contain task lights and under cabinet lighting in addition to dimming controls and reflectors.
- Transoms above the doorways help to bring daylight into the spaces.
- Distraction-free indoor environments: All workstations contain adjustable computer screens and chairs, as well as several sit-stand desks. The HVAC equipment installed produces a limited amount of sound. Curating artwork inspired by culture, spirit, place and nature, the team placed pieces thoughtfully throughout the suite.
- Clean water through filtration and regular testing: The team arranges testing of the water to ensure safe levels of turbidity, inorganic contaminants, agricultural contaminants and public water additives.
- The Cleveland Clinic issues a survey to its building community annually to understand employee satisfaction in regards to acoustics, thermal comfort, furnishings, lighting, odors, cleanliness and layout.
What positive impacts resulted from your WELL Certification?
According to a post-occupancy survey that was performed eight months into occupancy, employees have reported high satisfaction with the new space, including particularly high marks for ergonomics, comfort, air quality and cleanliness. In response to the evaluation, one employee remarked, “Overall it is a pleasure to work in this environment. I think patients feel good when they enter our space, which is important to our mission.”
