Berkeley, California
Front Yard Ornamental Garden incorporating drought tolerant shrubs and succulents with a reclaimed brick edging. A dark wood mulch is used on pathways to suppress weeds and contrast with the brighter colors of the plantings.
Berkeley, California
Rear Yard Kitchen & Ornamental Garden
Existing wood deck, brick paver patio and raised bed container garden and trellis were constructed by Adonis Building and Construction (www.adonisbuilds.net). Citygardenstudio added a new kitchen garden and herb & flower cutting garden in existing raised beds. A redwood bench seat was added on top of the raised bed planters. A shade tolerant garden of rhododendrons, ferns and hosta was added under an existing redwood tree along the back fence of the property. Adonis Building and Construction returned to add a new wood retaining wall along the edge of the yard, as well as a new gravel, multi-purpose area at the rear of the property.
Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School
Berkeley, California
Design services were provided for 150 sq. ft. outdoor classroom pavilion at the Edible School Yard. Located adjacent to the garden and teaching kitchen, this pavilion provides shade, shelter and a prep area on the Southeast corner of the garden.
Post and beam wood structure is tied into concrete slab on grade with standing seam metal roof. Simple design mirrors post and beam tool shed at North end of garden, which incorporates a rainwater catchment system, collecting water from tool shed and chicken coop nearby.
Here, stainless steel sinks are inset into durable site built concrete tables on wooden bases, where vegetables harvested from garden are washed and prepped for cooking in kitchen classroom nearby. Grey water from sinks is directed along sloped groove in concrete slab to abutting swale planted with papyrus and other water loving plants.
Food scraps from vegetables are collected in nearby wooden worm composting boxes, to help educate children about vermiculture. To reduce project costs, garden hoses are used for running water and project was completed for a nominal fee.
Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School
Berkeley, California
The ramada (Spanish word 'rama' for branch) is the main outdoor gathering space at the Edible Schoolyard, where classes start and end. Constructed of a circle of wood posts, the ramada supports edible vines including kiwi and hops. The Edible Schoolyard wanted to replace the existing biodegradable straw bale seating with durable seating that was more comfortable and provided space for storage of students' bags.
City Garden Studio provided design research, renderings and detailing/fabrication assistance, in collaboration with ESY Garden staff and custom metal fabricator, Mosaic Metals.
Final design and detailing by Mosaic Metals employs a modular CNC (Computer Numeric Control) routed steel bench frame which is repeated in a circle, to keep labor and costs efficient. Steel bench structure and re-bar shelf are unfinished hot rolled steel, left to develop a ‘rusted’ patina over time. Curved bench seat is made of unfinished exterior grade reclaimed hardwood, harvested from invasive acacia wood in Hawaii.
MLK Middle School students participated in the final installation and finishing of wood benches including sanding, bolting and screwing of wood tops and screwing of steel parts, supervised by head garden instructor, Geoff Palla, as part of the class to provide hands-on learning and a rewarding communal activity.
Oakland, California
An existing older concrete paver patio in the rear yard was upgraded by adding a custom L-shaped container kitchen garden with trellis for vertical growing of beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet pea flowers. Three half wine barrel containers were added along the edges of the yard to frame the space with plants. These were planted with dwarf avocado and Meyer lemon trees with strawberries planted below. Half wine barrel closest to house was planted with an edible flower and herb garden for easy access from the kitchen. In-ground, pollinator friendly flowers were planted along the base of the half wine barrels to add color and new life to the space.
New School of Berkeley, Preschool for 2-4 year olds
Berkeley, California
A planting design for an edible raised bed garden was created to restore a neglected garden. Lessons about water conservation and organic gardening were incorporated into hands-on garden maintenance by the 4 year old class.
INITIAL SUMMER PLANTING:
Soil was amended to a depth of 4 inches around existing strawberries, kale, kale trees and marigolds, which were left in place. Some new starts were added: leafy greens (lettuces, kale, arugula etc.) and herbs (sage, rosemary, pineapple sage, golden pineapple sage, lemongrass, thyme, rosemary) as well as some additional marigolds to ward off unwanted pests as part of an integrated pest management strategy, avoiding the use of pesticides.
FALL PLANTING:
Existing strawberries were removed due to poor growth and attacks by squirrels. Beds were amended with the children by sprinkling crushed eggs shells into the soil to add calcium to the soil as new kale and parsley starts were planted. Native wildflowers were also direct seeded into beds to provide flowers for pollinators. Dry loquat leaves collected local trees were also added to create a mulch layer and act as habitat for beneficial insects.
Decommissioned Navy Base, Alameda, California
Design, permitting and project management services were provided to convert an existing storage area in a prefab steel building to a community kitchen for Alameda Point Collaborative (APC). APC is a nonprofit that provides support services and housing for formerly homeless individuals and their families.
Work included: new kitchen equipment, partition walls and tile flooring, new plumbing and waste lines, mechanical ventilation and upgraded electrical and water supply for new appliances. New wood ‘barn doors’ link kitchen to multi-purpose community space used for dining, yoga classes, community meetings and celebrations.
New kitchen accommodates cooking and nutrition classes for Growing Youth Initiative using fruits and vegetables grown in adjacent community garden. Discounted architectural services helped project to be built within a tight budget.
Pier 98, Bayview-Hunter's Point, San Francisco, California
Responsible for design and project management, green systems research and advocacy, and construction documents for San Francisco's first off-the-grid community learning center for Literacy for Environmental Justice.
Coordinated discussions with eco-consultants and building officials to overcome official concerns of site water contamination and threats to public safety caused by on-site black water treatment. Waste water (black water) from toilets is processed, cleaned and reused for subsurface irrigation through the use of Living Machine 'eco-technology' employing indoor wetland cells. Other green features include: structural insulated panels, roof top solar array, rainwater catchment, radiant heat and semi-intensive green roofs providing wildlife habitat.
Project Architect for Tobylongdesign
From EPA Environmental Justice Award Notice:
https://archive.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/awards/web/
pdf/ecocenter.pdf
EPA is pleased to recognize the EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park Partnership for creating an environmental justice education center for use by the residents of San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point and other communities with environmental justice concerns.
The EcoCenter is the first environmental education center in the Bay Area that focuses on environmental justice, and plays a major role in eco-literacy training for students, teachers, and communities in San Francisco. It is dedicated to teaching the principles of environmental justice through demonstration.
The EcoCenter teaches that design and architecture have a responsibility to go beyond aesthetics to play a regenerative role in communities that have been burdened by environmental problems. It has its own wastewater treatment system, generates its own energy and heat, and maximizes the use of natural light.
The EcoCenter serves a community experiencing great environmental distress from a legacy of military operations, power generation, and industrial operations. It is a central resource where environmental education organizations can offer programs and provide participants with tools for critical thinking about urban sustainability, environmental stewardship and advocacy.
