Los Angeles County has selected CannonDesign as its design-build entity partner to bring the nation’s first well-being campus to life for people with unstable living conditions. The village will be largely modular, with prefabrication being provided by ModularDesign+. Construction services are being provided by CannonDesign’s construction entity, CannonDesign Builders.

The Restorative Care Village will introduce a new kind of environment for this vulnerable population, one taking a comprehensive approach to the interrelated and complex needs of homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, job training/housing, and medical co-morbidity. The campus will help vulnerable Los Angeles County residents recover from medical and mental health conditions.

Located on the Los Angeles County+University of Southern California Medical Center (LAC+USC) campus, the development will consist of two key components:

• A four-story Recuperative Care Center with 96 beds to provide immediate placement options for persons being discharged from an inpatient hospital setting who lack a supportive place to live.
• A 64-bed Residential Treatment Program consisting of four buildings that provide a short-term alternative to hospitalization to address mental health needs.

Together, these facilities, in cooperation with others planned for the Restorative Care Village, are essential components of a broader strategy to help vulnerable residents fully recover from health and/or mental health conditions.

The design for the village is based on a neighborhood model, with all buildings oriented on a main street that harnesses extensive landscaping and placemaking strategies. The cladding on the buildings draws inspiration from the historic art deco LAC+USC hospital (white metal paneling) and the cultural influences found in the surrounding neighborhoods, like multi-colored metal paneling. Public art will be an essential element of the project, with interior and exterior artwork playing a central role in creating a restorative living environment.