Garfield Wellness Center

This adaptive reuse transforms an historic 1907 Pacific Electric Railway substation into an elementary school wellness center providing students’ families with services and support that remove barriers to learning.

This unique challenge was to turn a 113-year-old brick building, originally designed for electrical equipment, into an inviting and flexible community hub within a tight budget. It has been awarded the Santa Ana Historic Preservation Award and is the last standing Pacific Electric building in Orange County and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Our design approach was to respect the building’s history and restore the original materials and add complimentary improvements including a new roof, new kitchen, new landscape and utilities.