PVSD Corte Madera School

Portola Valley School District sought to upgrade their Corte Madera School campus by creating a series of gathering and outdoor learning spaces integrated among buildings and stately oak trees.

Two distinct sub-campuses and a central quad were improved by strategically locating the new science buildings, rerouting the fire lane, and regrading to make a seamless site that reaches outward to the regional landscape. The fourth-and-fifth grade quad connects the science building to Frog Pond, the sixth-to-eighth grade quad is nestled among an existing oak woodland, while the central quad and tiered amphitheater faces Windy Hill.

The entire design includes adaptive and native plantings exceeding the need for irrigation by more than 50%, as well as meeting or exceeding the environmental quality measures for stormwater management and heat island reduction.

Project Information

Client: Portola Valley Unified School District

Location: Portola Valley, CA

Size: 4 Acres

Photography: aeg7

Certification: Seeking LEED Silver

Status: Built