The Oasis in High Desert

The Oasis on Sierra provides interim housing for 100 adult individuals experiencing homelessness. The project converts a previously dilapidated motel – a hotbed of illicit activities along a crime-plagued highway, into a place of respite from the noise and pollution of Sierra Highway, a highly traveled thoroughfare. The Oasis joins the already completed Sierras, housing for 40 families, and three other permanent housing projects on this stretch of the highway, all within a stone’s throw from each other. Collectively these 5 projects will be the catalyst for positive change in this part of the City of Lancaster.

The project consists of a complete remodel of 100 hotel rooms into interim housing, offices for case management and support, brand new community center for large and small gatherings, and a garden oasis, nestled deep within the existing facility and away from the noisy highway.

The community center with its soaring ceilings and expansive glass surfaces stretches onto the commons and anchors the campus in its center. The building has been strategically shaped to have visual control of the courtyard that stretches several hundred feet in either direction.

Natural materials, both inside and out contribute to the healing and recovery of the future residents.