Seeking to improve the health of their community while creating a destination campus for wellness and inclusion, three organizations—Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, and Carol Van Andel Healthy Living Center—have come together as part of the Mary Free Bed YMCA, in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The 117,000-square-foot Y opened in December 2015 on a 36-acre campus and is designed to be accessible, providing health and wellness activities and programs for disabled and able-bodied individuals.

Additionally, the Progressive AE-designed facility includes a Mary Free Bed Musculoskeletal Clinic with on-site therapy and The Healthy Living Center, housing a teaching kitchen, greenhouse, and learning farm.

“The ability to share ideas around new programs for the community is enhanced because of the colocation and design of the space,” says Mike Perry, executive vice president at Progressive AE (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and principal architect on the project.

The building is LEED certified and was designed using universal design principles with wider doorways, natural lighting, adjustable desks, no thresholds, clear entries, and acoustical controls.

Mary Free Bed Hospital and Progressive AE are conducting a joint research project on the perceptions people have of the disabled and how the facility impacts their perception, which will include a post-occupancy evaluation.