Healing and Overcoming 

The Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Rehabilitation Court, located in Vallejo, California, about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, is a place of healing and overcoming obstacles. The court’s design reflects the intention to mimic the physical challenges found in the urban environment. INTERSTICE Architects designed this site to overlay rehabilitation therapy activities within an outdoor garden setting with direct proximity and connection to the interior gymnasiums.

Guide through Space 

The linear space is bounded by bamboo plantings in colorful, raised concrete trays with guide-rail edges to support the various therapeutic functions. Moving from the gymnasium, the site opens into spacious table seating that can be utilized for gathering, conversation, relaxation, and occupational therapy purposes. From here, the courtyard surface rises gradually towards more challenging elements, encouraging a metaphoric ascent towards the west of the site. Through the graceful canopy of bamboo that incorporates bench seating along the way, the Rehabilitation Court finally reveals the sensational elevated views to the west where one can pick out the vague outline of the distant San Francisco Bay.

 

Rising Up to Meet the Challenge

The ascent into the grove is made by negotiating curbs, ramps, and stairs of varying lengths with various riser and tread dimension, all of which are provided with handrails integral to the planter edges for safe negotiation and rehabilitation use. The therapeutic elements also include a car parked on the roof garden; ground surface texture challenges such as wood decking, cobbles, and pea gravel; a handful of small plots for gardening; a putting green; and an open game area designated for basketball or badminton, all interwoven within the filtering canopy of the bamboo grove.

• CAMPUS/CULTURAL
• Landscape