Future-proofing the nation’s largest net zero energy mental health campus
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 1978, and now the wooded campus is transforming once more into a modern and resilient mental healthcare facility.
Inspired by the profound influence of nature on mental well-being, the revitalized campus will harness the power of its surroundings to become a community for patients and the county alike. The campus will comprise four single-story mental health rehabilitation centers, each accommodating 16 clients, as well as a three-story co-housing building for 57 residents. With CannonDesign as the design architect, the buildings are arrayed around a central open space with sheltered outdoor seating, community gardens, and recreation areas. Cordilleras also will provide administration, medical, dining, and maintenance services, plus other staff and visitor services.
In collaboration with San Mateo County, the new Cordilleras campus will be the first net zero energy mental health facility in California and the largest in the nation. The project will generate 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.
Read a Building Design + Construction feature on Cordilleras’ net zero energy features
On the Building Team:
Owner: San Mateo County
Design architect and architect of record: CannonDesign
MEP engineer: CannonDesign
Structural engineer: KPFF
Construction: Skanska USA Building
Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6pm-7pm
Format: Virtual
Registration: Open Now!
Image: Courtesy of CannonDesign