The Magic Circle

At night it’s a gathering place for talkative theater buffs, who weigh in on the play of the moment and jolt their flagging attention spans with sips of java.

During the day, the fountain courtyard that fronts South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa is a quiet haven where Maria Chavez Wilcox, president of Orange County’s United Way, takes an occasional break from her role in helping to raise $26 million annually for health and human services.

The rush of the gushing fountain is a calming influence after she participates in power lunches at nearby restaurants, she says. And she’s not apt to be distracted by the few passersby. “Typically, the people in the area are not your hard-charging CEO types. They’re grounds people or people on their way to South Coast Plaza.”

Another bonus for Wilcox: the space’s curved design.

“I love the fact that the courtyard and its benches are arranged in a circle so you can look out,” she says. “There’s always been something magical for me about a circle. [In the courtyard] I’m out in the light and not in the middle of anything.”

Perhaps, she suggests, her penchant for the circular is a product of where she was raised: Lima, Peru.

“It is one of the busiest, most-congested cities in Latin America. We were always on top of one another. There was no openness.”

Her love for the spherical is also manifested in her work and home environments. “When I moved into my [Irvine] office four years ago, I totally restructured it. Everything was square and I wanted round. For me, roundness means inclusion and communication. It’s more calming than a space with confrontational corners.”

The Long Beach home she shares with her husband, Jeffrey Wilcox--executive director of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Foundation--also caters to her love of things circular.

“We took out walls, and all of the rooms are open to each other. I don’t like sharp edges, and I don’t want walls stopping the flow of communication, air or vision,” she says.

When she zips off to a power meeting in her shiny silver Mustang--a convertible, of course--Wilcox relishes the fact that she has an escape hatch waiting for her. “It’s the place where I can process the meeting I’ve just attended or just get energized by taking some time out before moving on with my day.”

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Ann Conway can be reached by phone at (714) 966-5952 or by fax at (714) 966-7790.

Try This at Home

Relaxing alfresco begins with choosing an outdoor space that allows you to enjoy nature while tuning out the stresses in your life.

What to look for:

* Quiet. Seek an area free from the sound of traffic, for example, or of barking animals and emergency sirens.

* Simplicity. An uncluttered environment will help you focus on one aspect of your surroundings--a stately tree, perhaps, or thundering surf.

* Safety. Don’t isolate yourself. It’s safer to choose a spot that is populated, albeit sparsely.

* Frequency. The more you visit your escape hatch, the more comfortable your sanctuary will become.