Franklin Residential Care Facility & Behavioral Health Clinic

Across the U.S., shifts in logistics and manufacturing have left older industrial buildings underused or obsolete. In Riverside County, California, a dark, aging book repository became an unlikely starting point for healing. Converting its deep floorplate into trauma-informed housing demanded seismic retrofits, life-safety upgrades, added daylight, acoustic control, and a rethinking of scale to create safety, dignity, and comfort for adults needing behavioral health support.

The design cut a two-story interior commons through the roof and second floor, transforming the building’s dark core into a light-filled hub. Clerestory glazing, additional windows, and north-facing roof monitors improved orientation and well-being. A secure, welcoming entry reinforced safety. The former parking lot became a therapeutic landscape with gardens, walking paths, and recreation areas. Each space was embedded with trauma-informed principles of choice, connection, and calm throughout.

Now known as the Franklin Residential Care Facility & Behavioral Health Clinic, the project demonstrates how adaptive reuse can advance healing and sustainability. The transformation preserves embodied carbon while delivering structured, dignified housing. More than a conversion, it reframes an industrial relic into a restorative community and proves that overlooked infrastructure can become places of hope, healing, and renewal.