We collaborated with Fourth Tri Sanctuary co-founders Kacee Must and Melissa Scodellaro to create a 6,300 square foot sanctuary for expecting and postpartum mothers as they transition into parenthood. Fourth Tri was created based on the question - “Why would a mom want to leave her home to visit us?”


The answers are endless. Because she is lonely, because she needs to be cared for, she needs to sleep and eat, she needs guidance on how to bathe her baby, she needs time away from home. We landed on five pillars to summarize a new mother’s needs - nourishment, rest, movement, education and community.





Upon entering, the new or expecting mother leaves her shoes, car seat, and anything from the outside at the door, before being welcomed into the sanctuary which includes semi-private and private rest areas, custom infant washing stations, a cafe, a personal care area and a nursery.

Because spaces for matrescence are rare in the U.S., we looked to countries such as China and Norway for inspiration. We strove to create a model for the holistic care of mothers and their babies that can be adapted to the needs of different communities. We made the space as permeable and fluid as possible, using curved walls and generously wide pathways to provide easy navigation with strollers.