Located on a 17.75-acre rural property in Cotati, California, the Resiliency Center becomes the first of its kind physical manifestation of a dream to create a permanent local hub for a community of first responders which will become a prototype for others throughout the nation. The site holds a vast and rolling landscape, with 360 views of vineyards, hills, and the big blue sky, and is home to a variety of ponds, native plants, and wildlife.

Our concept is based on the notion that the power of nature is pivotal in the process of physical and mental healing, processing trauma, and reducing stress. A procession between the site’s arrival point and the new 20,000-square-foot facility becomes a crucial sequence in our site planning since new visitors may be at threshold moments of stress during this moment in time. Upon arrival, users are guided by a landscape feature wall that leads them through a serene and natural path. The wall seamlessly morphs into the walls of the main center, where the building has become fully integrated into the landscape, tucked away under the expansive and habitable roof garden which has risen above it.

The Center holds a variety of functions ranging from therapy rooms, classrooms for art, meditation, and yoga, a wellness center that includes steam, sauna, and massage facilities, and a 100-person lecture hall. There is also a full-service dining facility and cafe, and resources such as family counseling and rooms for AA/NA meetings. The integration of interior gardens and views to the landscape blurs the barriers between the natural and man-made, which have become indistinguishable from one another throughout the center.

The property is also home to a large equestrian center and several scattered casitas for those staying on the property overnight during multi-day conferences and events. Curation of the landscape via a series of sensory and meditative gardens becomes integral to the experience at the Resiliency Center, as one can wander by foot, by cart, or by horseback, using the power of nature as a tool to reflect, process, and heal.