Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA) / NIA, part of a nonprofit consortium that provides insurance for nonprofits, built a new 26,000-s.f., 3-story headquarters on the Westside of Santa Cruz. The project, which integrates feng shui principles, focuses on minimizing energy use and highlighting sustainability while enhancing staff and visitor experience. Plantings soften paving and building edges throughout the nearly half-acre site while a courtyard and roof deck provide welcoming refuge. Recirculating water features and a stream offer respite in the central courtyard and invite work breaks and small gatherings. Spill-out patios accommodate larger groups with seating surrounded by plantings. Paving is used carefully to define entries and spatial shifts; fencing both provides screening and security and frames close and distant views. Plants are native or climate adapted, low maintenance, beneficial to insects and birds, and provide tactile and sensory interest throughout the year.