Word cloud image created by the good people at Salazar Architect, LLC
This summer, Leaven Community members and neighbors gathered in a series of four workshops (including one in Spanish) and through a community survey to imagine together about what a Community Resilience Hub at Leaven could look like.
Across these engagements, three values emerged as the heart of our longings: Community Belonging, Universal Design, and Design Justice. We want spaces that are welcoming, adaptable, and rooted in care for one another.
When it came to practical needs, some themes rose again and again:
a community kitchen where meals and stories can be shared,
a garden that nourishes both body and spirit, and
networks of mutual aid and childcare that help us carry one another through hard times.
Neighbors also highlighted the importance of indoor gathering areas, outdoor spaces, and basic needs support like showers, storage, and emergency shelter—resources that will make Leaven a place of safety and connection in times of both celebration and crisis.
This feedback paints a clear picture: people want Leaven to be a hub where resilience is built through care, creativity, and community.
The team at Salazar Architect compiled what we heard at these gatherings into some simple takeaways, below. They are currently working on draft designs of the building and grounds that will be shared with the community in mid-October.Read all the way to the bottom to learn what’s coming up next in the process!
These images of gathering spaces were collaboratively selected by groups at the Leaven Resilience Hub design workshops in summer 2025. The number underneath each photo represents the number of groups (out of 13) that selected that space.
Qualitative data organized by the team at Salazar Architect
What’s next?
Our collaborators at Salazar Architect are putting together draft designs that will be shared with the community in mid-October.
Attend an upcoming workshop to provide feedback on those draft plans, which will further refine the blueprint and design to be finalized in December.
Sunday, October 19, 1:00-2:30 pm
Wednesday, November 5, 7:00-8:30 pm
Thursday, November 9, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm (for Common House partners)
Spanish Language workshop - Date and Time TBD, stay tuned!