“Hana” is often translated into English as “flower,” providing the inspiration for the name of this senior living center located on the site of a former Japanese American flower shop.  West Office worked closely with developer Eden Housing, architects Van Meter Williams Pollack, the Japanese American Citizens League, and the El Cerrito Historical Society to develop interpretive elements that are woven through the site.

In front of the former Mabuchi Flower Shop a descriptive panel planted in symbolic flower trays tells the story of the last Japanese American flower shop in El Cerrito.  Timeline pavers lead visitors up to the public plaza.  Throughout the plaza large and small monument panels describe the once vibrant floriculture industry, the impact of the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and the later rebirth of the community.

Video produced by Eden Housing

The weatherproof and vandal-resistant exhibits were fabricated and installed by CREO.