Gresham Smith Designs Rehabilitation Center and YMCA in Wildlight Community
Gresham Smith is pleased to announce construction on the University of Florida Health rehabilitation clinic, Healthy Living Center and YMCA are complete and the facilities are open to patients and visitors in Nassau County, Florida. The 37,000-square-foot facility is comprised of a 10,000-square-foot UF Health rehabilitation center, a two-story 25,000-square-foot YMCA, and a 2,000 square-foot concourse and healthy living center.
Both facilities are a continuation of Gresham Smith’s work on the Raydient Places + Properties Wildlight community. The health-centric campus aims to take a proactive approach to health and wellness to improve quality of life.
The UF Health rehabilitation center offers occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology to adult and pediatric patients. This is the fifth UF Health outpatient rehabilitation location, and the first full-service pediatric rehabilitation office. The new YMCA facility includes a state-of-the-art fitness center, educational programming, and plenty of community event space.
“The development of our newest outpatient facility, in partnership with Gresham Smith, Raydient Places + Properties, and the YMCA perfectly allows UF Health to meet its strategic pillar of advancing health care excellence,” said Leon Haley Jr., MD, MHSA, FACEP, FACHE, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. “We remain committed to developing new and innovative ways to create the healthiest generation.”
“These facilities provide residents the opportunity to address their healthcare needs early and effectively,” said Matt Flores, AIA, architect at Gresham Smith. “We’re proud to bring this innovative and one of a kind community health model to life, setting a new standard in healthcare that elevates the human experience.”
The rehab center and the YMCA are a modern take on historical architecture. Florida Low Country (FLOCO) is a concept created by the developer Raydient Places + Properties. It consists of a clear architectural language as a guiding principle to the community as a whole. Seamlessly matching the homes within the Wildlight community, the UF Health Rehabilitation Center and YMCA incorporate high ceilings, large windows, and surrounding porches typical of Florida Low Country and Florida Cracker architecture. Seashells can be found in the wayfinding signage, creating a tasteful take on coastal design and tying together the facility’s modern façade with traditional Florida design elements.
“The interior of the main entry concourse, UF Health Rehab Suite, Healthy Living Center and YMCA incorporate a cohesive connection of design fundamentals from the exterior to the interior with details that relate back to the surrounding outdoor social spaces and trails,” said Mary Couch, RID, IIDA, LEED AP BD&C, senior interior designer at Gresham Smith. “The modern exterior perfectly ties with the sleek interior. We used interior glazing, wood tones, and pops of color to influence energy throughout the facility to give it a welcoming and enthusiastic feel, while also staying consistent with the UF Health and YMCA brands.”
Gresham Smith provided architecture and interior design services for this project. The firm also designed the UF Health at Wildlight Ambulatory Care Center.
