VENTURA VETERANS
Ventura, California

Project Background:
Since 2017, PCLD has been instrumental in the development of the 9.68-acre Ventura Springs project in east Ventura. The project responds to specific needs of today’s veterans with the mission to create a community that will enrich the lives of veterans and their families who may be experiencing homelessness, a disability, or economic challenges that make it difficult to afford quality housing. Currently the project is undergoing the beginning stages of construction, with anticipated completion in 2024/2025.The project is designed to create the experience of a traditional, family-oriented neighborhood where sidewalks are activated by pedestrian pathways and residential front doors face the street, while maximizing the natural topographic opportunities that invite a beautifully calming environment. The project’s 122 residential units are dispersed throughout the site, forming clusters that surround vibrant community courtyards. The courtyards, which aim to draw residents outdoors for socializing, gardening, exercising, and community events, are all linked through very deliberate connections that help to break down the scale of the project and link residents to the variety of on-site amenities.The largest central courtyard includes a custom playground and sloped play area, a terraced community garden, an outdoor grilling/dining area, and a flexible use plaza that spills out from one of the project’s “tinker” spaces. The eastern courtyard acts as an extension of the project’s community room, with a small outdoor plaza that spills into an informal gathering space designed to host gatherings and events. The northern courtyard provides the site’s largest open turf area for flexible active recreation opportunities or passive activities like reading or reflecting. The whole site is surrounded by a perimeter exercise path that connects outdoor exercise stations, encouraging a healthy, mobile lifestyle for residents.