In response to the need to increase the capacity and quality of guest accommodations and residential workshops, we were asked to design three new Guest Housing buildings and a new Meeting Hall for the iconic Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC). These two elements made up the final components of a master plan for the facility, all created to help increase the impact and reach of the organization, and to make it one of the premier retreat venues in California. The immediate challenges were to design and create impactful structures that fit into the existing master plan, and were appropriately sited to celebrate the facility’s dedication to permaculture and meet OAEC’s mission of resilient living. 

The three new Guest Housing structures clustered together with two existing yurt bunkhouses to create a housing village. One is a fully accessible studio unit, and the other two are three-bedroom buildings with a shared bath. The Guest Housing called to mind the barrel-vaulted roofs of the original, private housing units on site dubbed, “Solar Suburbia”. The design was then transformed through the addition of dormers and clerestory windows, as well as in response to the site conditions – simultaneously nestled against the hillside and opening up to the view of the extensive gardens.

Adjacent to the guest housing in a prominent central location, the Meeting Hall was sited and designed with a central light monitor, to serve as a beacon for arriving guests to be oriented to the site. The layout of the Meeting Hall includes a large meeting room, a smaller conference room, a more informal lounge space, and a gathering hub that gives groups multiple meeting options. A large deck overlooking the garden, and an intimate circular courtyard space, expanded the gathering opportunities. The Meeting Hall was inspired by the beautiful, timber frame barn on site. 

To meet the mission of resilient living of OAEC, passive heating and cooling techniques were incorporated, including the extensive use of daylighting. The exterior materials included natural lime plaster, repurposed corrugated metal siding, and reclaimed wood from a local chicken barn. The interiors included site-built casework of locally sourced hardwood, and flooring made from cork, madrone, and sisal. Composting toilets were installed as part of a pilot program with the county building department to introduce new technology in the standard building process. 

Founded in 1994, The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) is an 80-acre research, demonstration, education, advocacy and community-organizing center in West Sonoma County, California that develops strategies for regional-scale, community resilience and the restoration of biological and cultural diversity. Through residentially-based classes and group retreats, OAEC trains and supports “whole communities”- schools, public agencies, Native American tribes, urban social justice organizations, watershed groups and others - to design and cultivate resilience to mounting ecological, social and economic challenges. We were honored to collaborate with an incredible group of people that make up OAEC, and to help cement its legacy as truly a visionary, environmental education center.