Pioneering Senior Living: Verena at Hilliard Sets the Bar with Fitwel Certification

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AT A GLANCE

Verena at Hilliard
Hilliard, Ohio, United States

+ Highest Scoring Project
Senior Housing vbeta (Built)

We’re spotlighting Verena at Hilliard, a senior independent living community situated on a vast 58-acre expanse of land in Ohio. Renowned as the state's first Fitwel certified senior living community, the Verena stands as a testament to meticulous renovation and health-focused design, culminating from the collaboration between MA Design and Green Courte Partners (GCP).

Today residents enjoy a host of health-promoting amenities including an attached public library, scenic walking path, outdoor recreational facilities, and strategically placed water and sanitizing stations for hydration and cleanliness. These features foster community engagement, physical activity, and overall well-being, reflecting Verena's commitment to providing a safe and vibrant living environment for its residents.

We spoke to the Fitwel Ambassadors at the helm of this accolade.

What motivated the project team(s) to pursue Fitwel’s Healthy Building Certification?
Our clients and project teams turn to Fitwel Certification for the flexibility it provides in achieving their health and wellness objectives. The Fitwel Standard allows us to customize strategies to the specific needs of each project and client, without imposing rigid prerequisites. This empowers both clients and teams to prioritize health and well-being in a way that best aligns with their circumstances.

Jessica Glorius-Dangelo, MA Design

Jessica Glorius-Dangelo
Sustainability Manager & Project Manager, MA Design

Jessica Glorius-Dangelo
Sustainability Manager & Project Manager, MA Design

Verena at Hilliard | Image Courtesy of MA Design

Verena at Hilliard
Hilliard, Ohio | Image Courtesy of MA Design

What advice would you give a team who is considering adopting Fitwel for the first time? What lessons were learned through the process?
Effective communication and teamwork are essential. Integrating healthy elements is easier and less expensive when done during the design phase rather than after the project is completed, but not impossible! We found the Fitwel team and resources to be extremely helpful and responsive, which we greatly appreciate. For example, we were planning to submit our project as two separate buildings due to a connector that only served to connect the old and new portions of the building. However, in collaboration with Fitwel, we were able to devise a solution by programming the connector to become a socialization area rather than a mere 'corridor', allowing us to treat the certification for a single building. 

Having a Fitwel Ambassador on board greatly improves the certification process, providing invaluable expertise and guidance. Their extensive knowledge speeds up the registration and review process.

Kris Hemeyer, MA Design

Kris Hemeyer
Project Captain & Sustainability Specialist, MA Design

Kris Hemeyer
Project Captain & Sustainability Specialist, MA Design

A New Era of Innovation & Transformation
As we approach the much-anticipated v3 standard update launching on June 4th, we draw inspiration from trailblazers in the healthy building movement like MA Design, The Verena, and Green Courte Partners. Their unwavering dedication to designing spaces that prioritize health and well-being sets the standard for future building design and community development, shaping a legacy for generations to come. To learn more about Fitwel v3 and for a complete look at v3 FAQs, visit our Help Center.

Who made this year’s Best in Building Health list? Visit fitwel.org/bibh and reserve your copy of our popular spin-off series, Building Health Vol. 2.

About MA Design
MA Design is an all in-house, inclusive design firm, focusing on architecture, interior design and sustainability along with other specialty services created to design differently. Headquartered in Columbus, OH, the firm is proud to have a representation of a 50/50 split of male and female employees, and is in its 44th year in the business. MA Design has established itself as a trusted partner for clients seeking visionary design solutions.

About Green Courte Partners
Green Courte is a diverse group of talented real estate and private equity professionals, working together to acquire and build world-class businesses assembled from carefully curated portfolios of niche real estate assets.

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