Norwalk Living Courtyard

GM+A designed the enclosed living courtyard at Southland Care Center. With the unique spatial quality of being situated in the basement level, our team had to consider the lobby, open terrace, and resident room towers that would rise above it. The project design strongly considered the visual prominence and functional relationship of the space as a result of its adjacency to the existing rehabilitation suite, which inevitably influenced the overall design intents. The living courtyard became a space that was not only visually pleasing to users both in and around it, but also a tangible and measurable asset for the center.

Our team incorporated ramps and stairs of different slopes and heights and introduced different textures into the walking surfaces within the trellised terrace. The courtyard ultimately became a main component of the center's therapy program, allowing residents to heal and grow stronger while enjoying the added water features and the Southern California weather.