Situated in the Green Gulch Valley in West Marin County, the San Francisco Zen Center’s Green Gulch Farm and Wheelwright Conference Center is a Buddhist practice center and retreat.  Proposed renovations to Cloud Hall, a former farm building that was converted years ago to serve visitors for programmed events and student residents in dorm-style housing, triggered a reassessment of the overall accessibility of the entire hillside campus.  Cloud Hall and the adjoining Zendo sit atop the former creek bed at the center of campus and both are major campus destinations requiring whole access.

Although the Zen Center’s long-term plans call for the eventual relocation of Cloud Hall and the Zendo to allow for ecological restoration, the center’s immediate needs involved renovating both buildings to meet current building and accessibility codes. We created a site accessibility plan that established ADA-compliant pathways throughout the hilly, complex site. In addition to connecting parking and program buildings, we designed campus-wide accessible circulation improvements, garden renovations at the renovated buildings, gardens along pathways, and a new a welcome center all in close collaboration with the Zen Center staff.