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Unbuilt Architecture
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| # 260 |
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| Completion |
NA |
| Specific Use of Building |
Education |
| Project Location |
Hollister, California |
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This new campus was shaped through an extensive community engagement process involving students, teachers, district leadership, neighbors, local police, and migrant farm worker families. Across 12 bilingual workshops, more than 200 participants contributed over 1,500 comments identifying priorities including safety, campus identity, environmental connection, efficient circulation, and respect for the region’s agricultural and Native American heritage. These conversations informed the project’s guiding concept, “Roots and Wings,” celebrating the community’s connection to the land while creating spaces that inspire future generations.
Program/Scope
The campus is organized around flexible “learning villages” arranged in C-shaped clusters around secure outdoor courtyards. These adaptable environments foster collaboration, safety, and community while supporting evolving teaching styles. Classrooms include movable walls, collaborative furnishings, and direct access to outdoor learning spaces through large operable doors. Public-facing facilities are positioned along the campus perimeter to strengthen community access while maintaining a secure academic core.
Budget/Cost
Fiscal responsibility and long-term durability were central to the design approach. A phased implementation strategy allows future expansion while remaining within budget. Durable, low-maintenance materials were selected to maximize lifecycle value. Concrete masonry inspired by regional sedimentary rock formations provides a resilient foundation expected to serve the campus for more than 100 years, while non-load-bearing interior partitions allow future reconfiguration as educational needs evolve.
Special Challenges
A key challenge was balancing campus security with openness and community connection. Rather than relying solely on fencing, buildings define secure campus edges and create protected internal courtyards that feel welcoming rather than institutional. The project also addressed solar heat gain, prevailing winds, drought conditions, and stormwater management through careful building orientation, shading strategies, and native landscaping.
Design Solution
The architectural expression draws inspiration from the site’s natural and cultural history. Textured masonry reflects layered sedimentary rock formations, while wing-like roof forms symbolize aspiration and bring diffused daylight deep into learning environments through clerestory glazing. Cross-laminated timber and glulam structural systems create warm interiors while reducing embodied carbon. Weathered steel panels reference agrarian architecture, and translucent canopies inspired by Native American basket weaving patterns provide shade and celebrate regional history.
Sustainable Design/Resiliency Measures
Passive design strategies informed building orientation, daylighting, shading, and ventilation to improve comfort and reduce energy demand. The campus is projected to achieve an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 11.09 kBTU/SF/year, reducing baseline energy consumption by 81%. Low-VOC materials, recycled content, and third-party certified products support occupant wellbeing, while native drought-tolerant landscaping and on-site stormwater retention systems reinforce long-term resiliency and environmental stewardship. |
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