A green nurturing space for man and nature.

This is a working conservatory built on the grounds of a private institution – a therapeutic farm community for adults with severe mental illness. It will provide working greenhouse space, meeting room, and a tropical garden for year-round meditation. Even more than that, the building serves as a metaphor for the goals of the community itself – providing a healthy green environment for nurturing of both plants and spirit; a place for social interaction and the contemplation of nature in all seasons. From it’s hilltop location, it also serves as a landmark and beacon for the rest of the residential campus – providing a physical and conceptual compass bearing for all. The structure incorporates passive solar heating, geothermal HVAC and high performance glazing.