Willow Commons is an intentional community - a residential option enabling individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live independently but with assistance as needed. Each resident has their own personal space consisting of an apartment with a bedroom, private bathroom, and kitchen. There are also common areas that provide a safe and supportive environment for social activities, communal dining, community programming, and customized support services. ABA served as the Design Architect with CJW Architects as the Architect of Record.
The project began after ABA met the clients at the San Francisco Adult Autism Conference, where our staff presented the firm’s sustainable housing development model. From that relationship, we provided the clients with feasibility, pre-planning, and programming services to lay the foundation for work from schematic design through review construction documents. Willow Commons is intended for adults who qualify for California Regional Center services. In this regard, The County Regional Center (GGRC) provides supportive living services to encourage and foster residents’ independence, including employment assistance and social engagement efforts, inspired by the success of similar residences in the area, such as book groups, art classes, and neighborhood hikes.
Rooted in the concept of biophilia, our innate connection with nature, Willow Commons is designed to reflect the beautiful nature of Portola Valla and express its community’s ethos of environmental stewardship. In turn, a focus on sustainability allows the design to preserve and enhance those very native ecosystems and habitats of the region, demonstrating how humans and natural environments can mutually support each other. Synergistically, the pairing of biophilia and sustainability form the foundation of a design for Willow Commons that is inclusive and enduring.
