(Montecito, CA, February 18th) — The Immaculate Heart Community has selected RIOS as the master architect to lead the sustainable redesign and rebuilding of the La Casa de Maria and Center for Spiritual Renewal (LCDM-CSR) retreat center located in Montecito, California.
Located on 26 semi-rural acres of orange groves and native gardens, LCDM-CSR has been a sanctuary of peace where thousands of guests have come to center themselves and renew their sense of purpose. In 2018, LCDM-CSR sustained substantial damage in the severe mud and debris flow that followed the Thomas Fire. The rebuild will be informed by IHC’s work and partnerships across California, with best practices shared by the foremost regenerative and resilient environmental organizations.
“We are excited and honored to collaborate with the Immaculate Heart Community on the rebuilding of La Casa de Maria. We have always felt a connection with this Community and we are thrilled to be involved with the masterplan efforts. After disasters such as this, we often speak of resilience in terms of systems that can be implemented to mitigate the effects of future events. But the most powerful, and enduring type of resilience is created through strong social bonds, in which we all support one another. We look forward to forming those bonds in the months ahead.” – Greg Kochanowski, Studio Director, RIOS
