ECCL - Final Design Presentation
May 2, 2013
ECCL in the News
City-School Partnership Advances Bold Vision for Center of Community Life in Emeryville, CA
March 29, 2013
By Michael Karpman
While agreements for the shared use of city and school district facilities are prevalent nationwide, the City of Emeryville, Calif., has taken this approach to a new level with its ambitious plan to build the Emeryville Center of Community Life. The project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2015, will bring together school and community services at one centrally located campus. Local leaders envision a one-stop location where families not only send their children to school, but also have access to afterschool programs, health and family support services, a library, child care and prekindergarten programs, a wide range of recreation opportunities, college classes, and job training courses. City and school district officials have worked together for more than a decade to make this bold vision a reality.
From Joint Use to Integrated Services
The concept of joint use is not new to the City of Emeryville and Emery Unified School District (EUSD), which had previously developed agreements to utilize school sports fields, gyms, pools, classrooms, and other facilities for city recreation programming. Yet in 2001, the bankruptcy and state takeover of EUSD prompted city and school board leaders to identify ways to operate more efficiently and effectively, and the city has loaned the district money as it worked with the state to overcome its financial difficulties.
The concept of joint use is not new to the City of Emeryville and Emery Unified School District (EUSD), which had previously developed agreements to utilize school sports fields, gyms, pools, classrooms, and other facilities for city recreation programming. Yet in 2001, the bankruptcy and state takeover of EUSD prompted city and school board leaders to identify ways to operate more efficiently and effectively, and the city has loaned the district money as it worked with the state to overcome its financial difficulties.
A joint master planning process for education and youth services brought community residents and leaders together to develop a more coordinated and cost-effective approach for serving children, youth and families. In particular, local officials determined that the district should bring elementary and secondary school facilities to one campus, thereby reducing overhead costs associated with operating the existing set of buildings for the city's small student population.
Co-locating additional community resources would provide what city officials describe as "cradle-to-cradle" services that meet the needs of families at every stage of life and create new opportunities for adults to mentor youth and for older students to mentor younger students. The completed Center will also include courtyards, plazas, playgrounds, and multi-use sports fields, making it a vibrant hub of community life.
Assets and Challenges
Emeryville is fortunate to have many unique assets upon which to draw as it pursues this major project. The city is situated in a 1.2-mile urban area between Oakland and Berkeley, and has a population of about 10,000 residents. Yet the number of individuals in the city swells to 30,000 during the day as workers commute to the many corporate offices in the city, which include the headquarters of Pixar Animation Studios, as well as offices for Bayer, Novartis and State Farm. These companies provide the city with a strong commercial tax base, and the chamber of commerce has played a key role in generating support for local plans from the business community.
The city has also faced its own challenges in promoting equity for its diverse youth population and in identifying an appropriate location for the Center in a region where property values are high and land is scarce. Ultimately, the city decided to redevelop the site of the existing high school, building upward by incorporating a multi-story design. The district is currently leasing an unused school building in Oakland for its high school students as the Center is under construction.
Much of the funding for the project derives from a large school district bond measure passed by nearly 80 percent of local voters, with additional funds sought from grants and state school construction funding. While the state's closure of local redevelopment agencies was a major setback, it has not stopped the project from moving forward.
The city and EUSD have developed or are in the process of developing memoranda of understanding for building, governing and operating the Center, including agreements for joint use of Center facilities. Partnerships with Alameda County Health Department, Berkeley City College and other organizations will make it possible to offer the wide variety of education, health, and recreation services that the community envisions for the Center.
"The Center will be the nexus of the community...the commons of Emeryville which brings all of the city's stakeholders together under one roof for education, socialization, fitness, and play," said Community Services Director Cindy Montero.
Design Development Images - April 2013
The following images illustrate 'snapshots' of the current design as well as several key interior spaces.
For more detailed information please check out the full presentation: Community Design Development Presentation (April 20, 2013) 5 MB, pdf format
Gateway to Emeryville View of the Community Multi-use room and K-8 entry from the corner of San Pablo Avenue and 53rd Street
High School Entrance View along 47th Street. Community and School Library at the corner of San Pablo (street level) High School Classrooms on 2nd level
Community Commons View from 2nd level terrace illustrating a musical performance at the community stage during non-school hours
Community Commons View of the Community Commons during school hours and K-5 recess. The Community Canvas is visible to the left of the image.
K-8 Building Overlooks the Athletic Fields to the west. The School Multi-use room and dining terrace are visible to the right of the image. The K-8 school entrance is at the left of the image along with a portion of the Community Canvas beyond
School Multi-Use Moveable walls allow flexibility for the space to be reconfigured to suit a variety of functions. Glass walls provide views toward the athletic fields (left) and Community Commons (right)
School and Community Library serves both school and community. A library classroom / community meeting room and a computer center are visible beyond the reading room while a community cafe connects to the library and courtyard (not visible - behind this view)
Commuity Welcome Center A light-filled two-story space serves as a one-stop resource center and provides information on Community Service programs as well as access to the Teen Activity Center on the plaza level and Family Resource Center and School-based health clinic on the floor above. The Welcome Center opens onto the landscaped Community Plaza with access to the Community Multi-use space and Senior Lounge.
Typical Science Classroom provides a rich, technology-based environment for project-based science learning. Ample light, open and lockable storage and overhead retracting electrical power enable maximum space flexibility.
Community Presentation - Design Development
On April 20 2013, The Nexus Partners presented the Design Development at a Community Meeting held at Ralph Hawley School. Members of the community were invited to share ideas for incorporating learning elements, cultural meaning and local history into the Community Canvas and other site features. To view the presentation click the links below. As soon as it becomes available we will post the results of the Community Interactive voting
- Community Design Development Presentation (April 20, 2013) 5 MB, pdf format
EUSD Board of Trustees Presentation - Design Development Presentation
On April 10 2013, The Nexus Partners presented the Design Development to the School Board for a first reading. To view the presentation click the links below
- EUSD Board of Trustees Design Development Presentation (April 10, 2013) 11 MB, pdf format
- Fly-through Animation (External link to Vimeo)
Announcing Upcoming Community Presentation Date!
The Nexus Partners will be holding community presentation to discuss the developing design of the ECCL and receive community comments. The presentation will occur on Saturday April 20, 2013 from 10am-12pm at the Ralph Hawley School Multi Purpose Room, located at 1275 61st. St. in Emeryville. Please encourage neighbors friends to attend. Light refreshments and daycare for young children will be provided. See you then!
Schematic Design Approved by both School Board and City School Committee
A key milestone has been reached! The ECCL Schematic Design has been approved by both the EUSD Board of Trustees and the City School Committee. These approvals keep the project design on schedule for an August 2015 opening date and allow Nexus Partners and its technical team to proceed into the Design Development phase with a scheduled approval date of this work in March-April 2013. Links to both presentations can be found in the Archives & Reports section or through the links below:
- City / School Committee Schematic Design Approval Presentation (December 6, 2012) 13 MB, pdf format
- EUSD School Board Schematic Design Approval Presentation (November 26, 2012) 18 MB, pdf format
Community Design Workshop 8 Summary
Thank you to all who participated in the 8th Community Workshop to shape the ECCL! The workshop was well represented by youth and students who also participated in the presentation of materials to the Community. A wide range of images of other buildings and community centers around the world were presented to the participants in order to understand what types of architectural language and composition might be appropriate for the ECCL. Using interactive voting, the paritcipants weighed in on what resonated positively and what did not. From this exercise, the design team will be able to work more effectively to develop an architecture that the community and users will find most pleasing. The image set and the Community voting results are provided below. Additional materials will be uploaded here as they become available including community voting responses to the conceptual design presentation and additional areas of concern requiring further development.
- Community Design Workshop 8 - Introduction & Review (9 MB, PDF format)
- Community Design Workshop 8 - Architectural Character Image Presentation (14 MB, PDF format)
- Community Design Workshop 8 - Community Voting Results (260 KB, PDF format)
Community Design Workshop 7 Summary
Members of the Emeryville Community as well as users and staff reviewed the approved City / Schools Conceptual Design and also weighed in on the emerging conversation of what the ECCL should look like through the use of interactive voting technology. The materials presented are now posted below as well as in the Archives & Reports section.
Community Design Workshop 7 - Conceptual Design Presentation
ECCL Conceptual Design - Site Organization and Massing (above)
To view materials from the previous Community Design Workshops please check the Archives.
Conceptual Design Finalization: City Schools Committee Presentation
Please click the link below to view the March 1, 2012 City Schools Presentation. The committee will be considering the approval of the final conceptual design for the ECCL, setting the stage for the Schematic Design process to commence. The schematic design process begins where conceptual design ends, and is a continuation of the design process with much more community input ahead. While general building placement and general massing on the site will be considered fixed as of the completion of Conceptual design much more design work is ahead. Schematic design begins the process that many consider to be "real architect rue". It is in this stage that the Nexus Partners will, with your ongoing input, begin to study the aesthetics ("look and feel" of the buildings), and outdoor landscape as well as developing the interior spaces and more technical requirements of the facility.
- Final Conceptual Design Presentation
- City / Schools Committee - Final Conceptual Design Video Feed (Navigate to March 1, 2012 Meeting Date. Presentation begins at 1:25 mark)
Community Design Workshop 6 Summary
Thank you to all who participated in the 6th Community Workshop to shape the ECCL! Joe Feldman led us through a discussion of "small schools" - what they are and how this concept applies to the ECCL. The materials presented are posted below as well as in the Archives & Reports section. To view materials from the previous Community Design Workshops please check the Archives.
Community Design Workshop 5 Summary
Hayin Kim led a community conversation about Community Programs: Understanding a Community School Approach. The materials presented are posted below as well as in the Archives & Reports section. To view materials from the previous Community Design Workshops please check the Archives.
Conceptual Design Presentation
Nexus Partners presented the proposed Conceptual Design to the City / School Committee on October 6, 2011. The design team worked to incorporate and address the many ideas discussed in Community Design Workshops 1 & 2. The file is rather large (12mb), so please be patient when downloading. Conceptual Design Presentation
About this website
Together with support and guidance from the City of Emeryville , the Emery Unified School District (EUSD), and the Citizens' Oversight Committee (C.O.C.) The Nexus Partners have undertaken the development of this site to permit a greater level of participation by the Emeryville community in the shaping of the future Emeryville Center of Community Life (ECCL). The Nexus Partners is comprised of three design firms: MKThink , Concordia , and dsk.
This site will evolve rapidly as information becomes available and as the community voice takes its rightful place in the conversation. With your patience and your input we will try to make this website as user friendly as possible and the information it shares transparent to all. Keep in mind this site is a work in progress and if additional tools can be added to support enhanced information sharing and encourage greater participation we will make every reasonable attempt to make this site responsive to your needs. If you have any thoughts or comments about how we can improve this interface, please contact us.
How can you participate?
If you would like to share your opinions please do so - we want to encourage broad participation. By clicking here or the link "Join the Conversation" in the navigation pane of this page you will be directed to a site hosted by Ning which provides a platform for two-way community conversations, a blog and a community forum, and image & video sharing. We will work to integrate this site with other familiar social networking sites to facilitate your preferred method of communicating and staying informed.
This website is designed specifically for you to interact with other members of the Emeryville community as well as the design and consultant team, city & school leaders that will help direct the ECCL design toward the solution that is both right-sized and valued by the community it will serve. To participate in the Ning site you will need to create a user profile and answer a few simple demographic questions. If you need instructions to join for the first time click here. Once you've created your user profile you will not need to go through this process again.
Activities, Timelines and Current Work
To stay up to date with current and future activities related to the ECCL there are several resources available. Click the 'At-A-Glance Calendar' link to view the range of anticipated work and associated timelines.
For more specific information related to current work and work products click the links labeled "Facilities Development", "Relationship Development" and "Project Supports" at the top of the page
Concept Images from the Nexus Partners
The following images were prepared by the Nexus Partners during the architectural selection process in 2009. For a link to the abbreviated presentation click here. These images in no way represent a final design solution, but rather ideas that were explored during the design team selection process in 2009 and are offered here in the interest of sharing early ideas with a broader community audience. The Nexus Partners looks forward to a more direct community engagement process to advance the design further.
1. View from the community terrace overlooking the commons. Click on the image for a 3D animation that leads to this view
2. View from within the community library overlooking the commons. Click on the image for a 3D animation that leads to this view
3. A day in the life of the ECCL - How can we avoid designing single purpose spaces that are often left empty and unused during the week. We are thinking of ways to extend the utilization of every space to avoid unused rooms to the greatest extent possible. See how these three images suggest how this can happen: School Use during weekday daytime hours - View from the second level terrace serving learning studios overlooking the commons. Click on the image for a 3D animation that leads to this view
4. A day in the life of the ECCL - Public access after school hours - afternoon weekdays & weekends - View from the second level terrace serving after school community classes and activities overlooking the commons. Click on the image for a 3D animation that leads to this view
5. A day in the life of the ECCL - Public access after school hours - evenings / weekdays & weekends - View from the second level terrace overlooking the commons hosting a community event. Click on the image for a 3D animation that leads to this view
