Meridian Health, a new clinic in northwest Seattle, celebrated its grand opening early last year. The two-story building is clad in rust-toned weathering steel and concrete masonry units of different dimensions, jigsawed together so they look like natural stone. Wood benches are stationed underneath the deep eaves and, from there, visitors to the clinic have an idyllic view of a pond, lush aquatic plants, and trees including a fluffy willow. The building looks like it’s nestled into nature, and the theme continues inside. The admissions desk is stationed beneath a double-height atrium and a skylight. The wall behind the desk is wrapped in strips of reclaimed wood, and there’s a statuesque, rough-hewn stone slab there, too.
Meridian Health is beautiful, not institutional. And there’s another attribute that makes it special: Medical, dental, mental health, public health, and chemical dependency services are all found in this one clinic, instead of being scattered at different sites throughout the city—a thoughtful approach that centralizes health care.