Enso Village in Healdsburg, Ca. was developed in partnership with the San Francisco Zen Center and The Kendal Corporation
Healdsburg, Ca. – (April 24, 2024) – Enso Village, the nation’s first Zen-inspired Life Plan Community, which first began welcoming residents late last year, is marking a new era in senior living excellence. The community is developed collaboratively by the San Francisco Zen Center and Kendal. The San Francisco Zen Center is one of the world’s largest residential educational Soto Zen Buddhist organizations. Kendal is a leading not-for-profit organization of aging services and senior living communities. The one-of-a kind campus incorporates Zen and Quaker inspired values in its collaborative approach.
Enso Village is built on 15 picturesque acres amid the hills and vineyards of Sonoma County in Northern California. The community includes 221 independent living, 30 assisted living, and 24 memory care residencies. All resident living options are guided by Mindful Community Training (MCT), a people-centered approach emphasizing individual dignity and acceptance.
The community, which is actively hiring, will provide approximately 90 new jobs for Healdsburg area residents, with 30% of current staff living in Healdsburg. Enso Village is committed to the Healdsburg community and embraces the many connections that will be made. Leadership at Enso Village is committed to creating a multicultural and multilingual campus where people of all backgrounds can find purposeful job opportunities and be valued for their contributions.
“Enso Village was developed with extraordinary intentionality,” Doug Helman, interim CEO of Enso Village, says. “We are so pleased to welcome residents into their homes and lead a lineup of devoted and talented team members who embrace the philosophy of Enso Village, including its commitment to honor each person’s authentic path.”
Many residents are drawn to the community for its Zen-inspired practices and its focus on curiosity, mindful living, and meaningful and authentic connections. All faiths and philosophies are welcome at Enso Village, where the Zen and Quaker values of kindness, compassion, inclusion and mindful aging align.
Susan O’Connell, visionary founder and current resident of Enso Village, initiated the idea for Enso Village to find a home for retired teachers from the Zen Center and to share the practices of mindful community living with the wider world. “I knew that I wanted to create a community that embodied the philosophies of the Zen Center,” Susan said. “And that in order to make this dream into a reality, I needed to find another values-aligned organization with expertise in the aging services area. Kendal was the right partner at the right time.”
Oakland-based HKIT Architects and Seattle-based Mithun were the design architects at Enso Village, collaborating with Forest Perkins Architects on the interior design. Construction was led by The Weitz Company, with development management and marketing support by Greenbriar Development. Together with sustainability consultant Thornton Tomasetti, Kendal and the San Francisco Zen Center successfully integrated an environmentally conscious approach, achieving remarkable sustainable initiatives.
Enso Village is purposefully designed as a sustainable campus, starting from its inception by receiving approval for California Green Bonds financing. The Green Bond designation is more commonly applied to developments built solely for environmental purposes, like solar or wind designs. This status requires purposeful design selections, including construction materials and building standards. Enso Village is a model for a low-waste, low-greenhouse gas operating community.
The strict adherence to sustainability weaves into how Enso Village staff and residents live and work and is integral to campus choices. For example, residents living at Enso Village enjoy its Kitchen Garden, appreciate the drought-resistant native plants throughout the community, and benefit from the integrated energy-efficient offerings throughout their homes, including cooling and lighting systems.
Leaning into Sonoma County’s recognition as a worldwide designation for culinary excellence, Enso Village features communal eating venues and a teaching kitchen that encourages residents to become more connected to, and present with one another. Additionally, the campus Kitchen Garden encompasses multiple resident-driven farming components. Executive Chef Kyle Evans leads the farm-to-table cuisine and seasonal approach and features a bistro with vegetarian options inspired by Greens, a popular vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco operated by the San Francisco Zen Center.
Additionally, throughout the campus, various recreational, wellness and fitness programs encourage residents and community members to nurture all aspects of social, cultural, intellectual and spiritual life. On-site amenities include a Zendo meditation hall, tearoom, performance venue, yoga room, electric car and bike charging stations, multiple creative maker spaces, a state-of-the-art fitness center, walking paths, and much more.
Enso Village is Kendal’s first property on the West Coast and marks a period of expansion in the state.
Vassar Byrd, CEO of Kendal shares, “We are delighted to partner with the San Francisco Zen Center to provide this unique community. Leading with our shared values demonstrates the power of nonprofit partnerships to create new and compelling options for older adults. We could not have chosen more aligned partners or a more beautiful environment in which to build Kendal’s first West Coast community.”
For more information about Enso Village, visit enso.kendal.org.
Editor’s Note: Media members are invited to tour Enso Village. Doug Helman, Susan O’Connell, and Vassar Byrd are also available for interviews. To arrange, please contact Hannah Merschen of AKCG at [email protected] or 856-938-9555.
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About Enso Village
Enso Village is a Life Plan Community in Healdsburg, California, focusing on mindful aging, the joys of nature, environmental stewardship and healthy life choices for adults 60+. This approach incorporates mindfulness practice, compassionate action and memento-moment awareness while in relationship with those cared for. It is rooted in Buddhist practices of meditation and contemplation. At Enso Village, all medical and caregiving staff have been trained in the practice of contemplative care. The preview center is located at 435 Allan Court, Healdsburg, California, 95448. For more information, visit enso.kendal.org or call 707-756-5036.
About Kendal
Founded on Quaker principles and guided by Values and Practices, Kendal Affiliates include Life Plan Communities, Life Plan Community at Home, independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term care and skilled care options. Kendal Affiliates are in New Hampshire; New York; Massachusetts; Virginia; the Washington, D.C., Area; Pennsylvania; Ohio and California.
