Marin Abused Women's Services (MAWS)

In 2000, a non-profit organization to protect women jumped at the opportunity to purchase a low-cost building well-located in the center of San Rafael. Women seeking protection could get there by bus and there was even parking!

Because real estate is very expensive in Marin County, just North of San Francisco, this was a bargain for the non-profit which was long on vision but short on cash.

Built in the 1930's as a ladder factory, it was a windowless concrete box that extended the full length and width of the lot. In the 1950's it was turned into a gym and eventually became Nautilus of Marin.

Nautilus moved to more luxurious quarters and offered the run-down building at a good price to the Marin Abused Women's Services to be used as their Administrative Offices. The challenge was to renovate the windowless building into something that could be shared with several other non-profit agencies.

Aside from having no natural light, it was a long way from current structural standards. The roof leaked in many places and the ancient heating, cooling and electrical systems needed renovation. The whole structure needed to be strengthened to meet current earthquake standards and the building got its first fire sprinkler system.

Woodring & Associates pulled in the large storefront glass on the ground floor about six feet to create cooling protection from the California sun. They created a patio in the back, put sliding glass doors on the east façade and more than doubled the number of windows on the second floor.

The dank interior is now filled with natural light through the new skylight that opens the entire inside of the building to the sky. It looks like clear glass but is really an energy-efficient sandwich of materials that meets the California Title 24 Code Standards.

Marin Abused Women's Services moved into their new headquarters at the
end of 2001.