Developed by Endemic Architecture in close collaboration with the Colusa Police Department, Chief, Mayor, and City Manager, the project has successfully completed master planning, programming, and schematic design, and is currently advancing through its 2026 capital campaign phase.

The new Colusa Police Department design balances civic transparency with rigorous security, organized through a series of overlapping operational zones. Rather than relying on stark, institutional barriers, the programming uses fluid, soft loops to separate and connect public and private, work and training, administrative and officer, and evidence and interview spaces.

These zoning loops extend beyond the building footprint into the surrounding site, integrating the facility’s internal order with the public landscape to create welcoming areas for community engagement alongside dedicated secure zones.

Architecturally, the building’s massing establishes a strong civic identity by balancing contrasting visual weights—appearing heavy yet lightweight, austere yet vibrant, and grounded yet dynamic.

In its simplest form, the structure is a long, highly efficient bar building anchored by a continuous perimeter block wall that establishes a secure, heavy base. Resting atop this perimeter wall is a lightweight metal scrim that softly slips over the edge of the structure. This upper facade is articulated with elegant elevational curves that intentionally mark the roof scuppers and main building entrances, while a long, subtle bow curve along its lower edge brings a welcoming, human scale to the public-facing facade.

Subsequent phases of work are dependent on capital campaign and 2026 ballot outcomes.