Regenerated from a former Marine base, we bring you "Human Nature", a cultural, community and social nexus located in the heart of Orange County. Our Master plan celebrates the surrounding coastal landscape topography while also creating a vast spectrum of spaces for animals, plant life, humans and natural processes.

From its roots as an agricultural community, our site was once and air station for air ship operations. It was later turned into a Marine base to help the war effort in Vietnam and Korea. However in 1991, it was announced to be closed and final closure took place in 1999. This site would greatly benefit from remediation to the land because of pollutants from aircrafts and disturbance to the native habitant in the area.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 21.8 million military veterans in the United States in 2010. California has 2 million veterans, the highest number of veterans comparing to other states in the nation. The Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) states that about 1.5 million veterans are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing. In addition to the complex factors influencing all homelessness such as, shortage of affordable housing, unemployment and access to health care, a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by lack of family and social support networks.

The Marine Corp Air Base is an ideal setting to heal and support the military veterans, as well as, heal and support that land and environment. The military veterans and the marine air base have served the country over the past decades and need a place to rehabilitate. Human Nature is the catalyst that will transform the way we support our veterans in need and our declining natural environment. Collaborations with local universities will conduct on-going research to improve the health of military veterans and remediation to the land and environment. The Veteran Center at Human Nature is a veteran-friendly living environment for recently dispatched veterans. Some of the services that will be provided at the veteran center are: affordable housing, rehabilitation center, therapeutic gardens, medical research centers and education/vocation schools. Veterans will have a chance to recover and rediscover new life.

Ecologically our master plan provides for natural habitats, wild life corridors, bio filtration/infiltration basins and soil remediation. For human use we have created a sophisticated network of pedestrian paths, mixed use development community/cultural centers , as well as exhibition and recreational spaces. Some existing polluted soil will be excavated and then aerated. Once re-mediation has finished, the soil will be used to create our natural landscape mounds. Storm water will be captured and directed into the site. Captured site storm water will be treated by various bio-filtration processes using landscape planting.

All building materials within Human Nature are green sustainable material that are resource efficient to the environment. Some of the materials that meet the resource efficiency criteria are recycled material, for example, recycled plastic decking and recycled glass floor tiles and, natural/renewable material, for example, bamboo and cork. The solar panels on the roof of the hangar structure will increase the levels on on-site renewable energy self-supply to reduce environmental and economic impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use, and offset building energy cost. To limit the use of water in landscape, native plants will be used to reduce or eliminate the irrigation requirements. These native plants will also provide natural habitat for wildlife.

In terms of economic benefits, research opportunities and collaboration with local universities & local medical research centers will help bring in funding Housing and business spaces will be created that will help stimulate economic growth. Our site also features adaptive cultural and community spaces to foster positive community and cultural growth. Our site will feature a variety of materials and structures that will turn the site into a large demonstration area for sustainable building products and methods. Programs and partnerships would be formed that allow for rotating companies to have their products utilized and marketed in exchange for economic support.

All building materials within Human Nature are green sustainable material that are resource efficient to the environment. Some of the materials that meet the resource efficiency criteria are recycled material, for example, recycled plastic decking and recycled glass floor tiles and, natural/renewable material, for example, bamboo and cork. The solar panels on the roof of the hangar structure will increase the levels on on-site renewable energy self-supply to reduce environmental and economic impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use, and offset building energy cost. To limit the use of water in landscape, native plants will be used to reduce or eliminate the irrigation requirements. These native plants will also provide natural habitat for wildlife.

Our design includes the Grand Bridge which is an arching bridge pathway with panoramic views of the site. A field of landscape mounds planted with wild flowers and native planting as well as serving to help remediate the soil. The shallower and smaller mounds are made for human usage, providing picnic and seating areas, specialty gardens, concerts, and many other potential social and passive activities. The taller and steeper mounds are sanctuaries for native flora and fauna safe from human interactions. Outlook high is a small hiking hill created to capture the views of the site, as well as planted with citrus trees celebrating the history of the region. And memorial meadows, a gathering of people, monuments and nature. In all the makings a great a cultural, community and social nexus for Orange County and beyond, an environmental equilibrium where humans and nature can live and benefit from each other.

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