Encircled by forest near the shoreline of American Lake, the new Community Living Center (CLC) offers rehabilitating veterans a sense of community, and the comfort and views that were once lacking in their former facility. The new design redirects the bygone nursing home model toward an open, welcoming environment awash in daylight. The CLC’s contemporary aesthetic is a complimentary and intentional counterpoint to the stately stucco and clay tile buildings characteristic of the historic American Lake campus. VA stakeholders, side-by-side with the design and construction team members, worked to develop a building and site that will enhance the quality of life for patients, while enabling staff greater effectiveness in their care.