Cordilleras Mental Health Campus

Future-proofing the nation’s largest net zero energy mental health campus

Client: County of San Mateo, California
Location: California, United States
Size: 77,600 square feet
Status: Completed; LEED Gold

The Cordilleras Mental Health Campus, located on a wooded hillside south of San Francisco, was originally built as a tuberculosis hospital in the 1950s. It transformed into an inpatient mental health campus in the 1970s, and now the wooded campus was transformed once more into a modern and resilient mental healthcare facility.

Inspired by the profound influence of nature on mental well-being, the revitalized campus harnesses the power of its surroundings to be a community for patients and the county alike.

Cordilleras Mental Health Campus rendering

In this aerial rendered view of the campus, the solar panels (currently under construction) can be seen on the buildings’ roofs and the parking areas to offset the energy usage onsite.

In collaboration with San Mateo County, the new Cordilleras campus is the first net zero energy mental health facility in California and the largest in the nation. The project generates power on-site using rooftop solar panels installed on both the buildings and parking areas, offsetting its energy consumption. Data analytics based on the average weather, climate activity and types of engineering systems were used to predict the campus’s energy needs and verify that the solar arrays were sized to meet those needs. Cordilleras is targeting a Gold LEED certification.

“You can measure the compassion of a community by how it treats its most vulnerable. We made a decision that we, as a community, are going to provide the best setting possible to help those suffering from a severe mental illness, and do so close to home so that loved ones can stay connected.”

Don Horsley Former President of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors

Much care was taken to protect and preserve the surrounding natural environment and features biophilic design to support therapeutic healing.

The campus includes four single story, 16-bed rehabilitation cottages focused on specific populations and their tailored treatments, for clients with severe mental health issues. The cottages are K-shaped to provide optimal sunlight and views while also providing enough insulated walls to prevent heating and cooling escape.

An adjacent campus center offers activity space on the first level and includes a kitchen, chapel, retail store and primary healthcare offices. The second level houses co-housing rooms on levels two and three for 57 people, with less severe mental health disabilities who are able to work in the community during the day. San Mateo County leadership wanted the new Cordilleras to not be just buildings retrofitted for mental healthcare, but tailored for the needs and healing journey of each patient population. County residents were included in the design and planning process to ensure it would be a place for and of its community.

Read a Building Design + Construction feature on Cordilleras' net zero energy features

The campus' cottages are focused on specific populations with tailored treatments for those who need more inpatient care.

Biophilia, a concept that suggests humans have an inherent and instinctive affinity for nature, was an integral part of the design process, as research shows it helps reduce anger, anxiety, tension, fatigue and more. Textures and materials in the interior spaces align with the surrounding nature, providing familiar and calm environments that allow for a sense of control and safety for patient residents. Outside, the buildings will be enveloped in trees, creating a tranquil environment that supports therapeutic healing.

While the surrounding forests and canyons provide a restorative healing environment, there were also resiliency measures put into place to increase the ability to stay operational in the event of a natural disaster. A water tank was added to the site for backup domestic water for the facility and to provide additional hillside fire mitigation. Backup generators can supply 72 hours of power.

Conservation measures were taken during construction to protect endangered wildlife, with construction activity restricted to just 10 feet from buildings and pavement, and rare plants and endangered animal habitats were identified during surveys and were avoided.

A new frontier in net zero energy building design