St. Paul’s Reasner PACE Center (Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is an interior modernization of an existing healthcare building in the center of San Diego. The essence of the project was to introduce nature as a healing element into the interior of the building with a serene atmosphere reminiscent of a forest. To capture this idea, the design focused on two main concepts: natural light and color.

Keeping the large windows and creating connections between the perimeter and the center of the building was essential to flood the interior with natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting and connecting visitors with the outside and sunny environment.

Using the colors of a forest played a vital role as well, harnessing the power of color to facilitate patients’ healing journeys. Nature-inspired colors enhanced the vertical connection in the space, and a new color-coded orientation system makes navigating through the center intuitive because each floor uses a different color. 

The first floor includes the Senior Day Center which uses a palette of greens in the flooring, ceiling acoustic baffles, and tiles to evoke feelings of calm, balance, and rejuvenation. The second floor with the Clinic program is yellow, the color of sunshine and optimism to infuse the space with warmth and positivity, uplift the spirit, and foster a sense of hope and vitality. The third floor features the Rehabilitation Center which is orange, a vibrant and energetic hue to promote motivation to move through the healing journey with determination and resilience. The fourth floor is for the center’s offices and is blue, the color of tranquility and serenity, to envelop the workspaces in a soothing embrace that calms the mind and promotes a sense of peace and relaxation.