Nestled in the Peninsula’s oak woodland covered hills adjacent to creeks, ponds, and city open spaces Portola Valley School District sought the community’s involvement for the renovation of Corte Madera School (4th to 8th grade).

BTD designed spaces which serve the public but also can be used to enhance curricular needs during the school day and connect the school to its natural settings. BTD divided the project into three quads which take their theme from the adjacent natural areas: the regional skyline, native oak woodland, and pond. The site design integrates existing trees and uses all adaptive or native plantings, reducing the need for irrigation by more than 50%. The material selection meets or exceeds the environmental quality measures for stormwater management and heat island reduction. While the grading of the site is designed to form spaces while making access seamless in this natural setting.

Location
Portola Valley, CA

Client
Portola Valley Unified School District

Size
4 Ac.

Built
2023

Certification
LEED Silver

Photography
aeg7