Mercy Health Partners has created a new hospital on a 65 acre site located in Green Township on the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio. The 650,000 square foot state of the art building contains 250 patient beds. The sustainable site plan features low energy LED site lighting, prairie, bioretention areas, and thousands of native plants.

The 2.5 acre green roof is located above mechanical and surgical rooms. Two patient towers rise four stories above the green roof. The vast expanse of green space provides “healing” views for patients and visitors. A physical therapy terrace and upper level green roof overlooks the main green roof, and provides a restful view for those patients as well.

The green roof is primarily an extensive green roof planted with a mixture of 50,000 sedum plants of four varieties. Sedum species include Wiehenstephaner Gold, Purple Form Hispanicum, Sexangulare, and John Creech. Swirling across the green roof are intensive berms that mound to 30” high on which larger prairie grasses and perennials grow recalling the rolling hills of Ohio’s ancient prairies. Prairie grasses number 1,300 plants and they include Little Bluestem and Prairie Dropseed. The grasses turn wonderful shades of orange and purple in the fall.

Over 12,500 perennials were installed including Allium, Milkweed, Pinks, Rudbeckia, Monarda, Liatris, and Obedient Plant. These perennials bloom for a number of weeks from spring to early fall and display a range of colors from white, yellow and orange to pink, red, and purple.

A small intensive courtyard garden is located at the Chapel in the hospital. Ornamental and native plants are planted and including grasses, crepe myrtle, and contorted filbert.