CAMPUS PLANNING

We are proud to announce the completion of the Preliminary Development Plan (PDP) that documents the study and design of The Field Semester’s campus at a master planning level. It presents deep and systematic studies of the site’s ecology, hydrology, geology, and sociology and proposes site alterations to serve TFS’ program needs as well as the safety of the students and the health of the site and community. It is a robust and remarkable showcase of an ecologically-centered design process, reflecting TFS’ commitment to its values and mission. The plan brings us one giant step closer to opening our doors for students and staff.

The PDP defines all the building envelopes–the three-dimensional volumes in which buildings could go–for which we’re seeking entitlement from the county. As you will see in the document, the overall health of the site will be drastically improved through the changes we’re proposing–through both our upfront work and our students' ongoing restoration and stewardship activities that will be central to the student experience at TFS.

The PDP and all of the studies done to inform it have been a collaborative effort of some of the Bay Area's most brilliant and diligent environmentally-oriented engineers, planners, scientists, and experts and was ultimately authored by ecological design firm Hyphae Design Lab in Oakland, California. Hyphae’s founder, Brent Bucknam, attended The Mountain School (a long-running environmental semester program in Vermont) as a highschooler, and so brings his own experience with that program and campus to our process. Other PDP contributors include:

WRA Environmental Consultants, Berlogar Stevens and Associates, Robert Campbell of CampFire Protection Engineering, Carol Rice of Wildland Resource Management, Wildscape Engineering, John Baas, Lily Arias of Bargas Consulting

Numerous others have contributed invaluable insights as well, including seasoned educators, activists, administrators, students, and semester-school alumni.

We’re extremely proud of the depth, diligence, diversity of perspective, and overall comprehensiveness of this document. We’re so excited for the campus it envisions. It is a real milestone, making more tangible a vibrant, regenerative future for the Big Bull Valley Watershed and the Port Costa Schoolhouse. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about the PDP or ongoing process to make the campus a reality.

(Big file alert! 200MB+. If a preview cannot load in your browser, a download button will appear in the new window.)