Planning & Design Meetings 5/16/2010 - Minutes
PALO ALTO HS LANDSCAPE
Programming and Design
Palo Alto Unified School District
16 March 2010 | Page 1
PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL MASTER PLAN
Palo Alto Unified School District
PROGRAMMING AND PREDESIGN: MEETING NO. 4
DATE: 16 March 2010, 3:30-5:00 pm
SUBJECT: Landscape Subcommittee Meeting
ATTENDEES: See attached sign-in sheet
The following are the highlights of the meeting:
1. Erwin Lee introduced the meeting and the intent to present a revised core concept
based on comments and discussion from the last meeting.
2. David Gates (DG) presented the revised core concept plan. The plan included a
revised layout for the Quad based on the last discussion in the Faculties Steering
Committee (FSC) where it was discussed that since the Student Activities Center is a
below the line project, then there are more opportunities for flexibility in that project.
The layout included a more rectangular quad with fire department access and an
amphitheater space in the Student Activities Area. DG also reviewed the edge of the
Quad near the library and explained the opportunities for bioswale. The plan also
showed trees scattered through the quad.
Comment:
It may be more practical to keep the area between the quad lawn and the library open
for circulation, rather than divide it with a bioswale.
Response (DG):
Unfortunately we have a severe drainage problem in that area. Our last concept
considered grading the entire quad to be level with the library elevation. However, the
amount of soil that would require removal would be excessive. I think we need to
have a low retaining/seat wall to pick up the grade and allow for a 2% slope up to the
Student Activities Center.
Comment:
It would be nice to have the space in front of the library relate to the quad. If the seat
wall could face the library and the quad that would be ideal. But we don’t want them
to have their feet in the bioswale.
Response (DG):
Perhaps we could have small cutouts in the bioswale to create gathering nodes.
Comment:
They could even be paved with decomposed granite and have benches or seatwalls.
Comment:
PALO ALTO HS LANDSCAPE
Programming and Design
Palo Alto Unified School District
16 March 2010 | Page 2
I am thrilled with the revised plan. I agree that there could be undulating spaces
along the path of the library with seating facing the library and the quad.
Comment:
I like the large trees scattered on the lawn which provide shaded student gathering
areas. Some monarch oaks would be nice, perhaps Quercus virginiana.
Comment:
I like the idea of adding a trellis to the plan. It matches the style of architecture we
love on the campus and provides shade.
Question:
Is there a Melaleuca missing in front of the proposed Media Arts building? There are
five existing trees and only four shown.
Response:
Erwin pulled back the building and was able to save most of them, but we believe one
was too close to the building footprint to save. We will look at the plans and verify.
Question:
How much space do you need between an existing tree and the buildable zone?
Response:
A desirable distance would be 20 feet, but the tree can usually tolerate as close as 8-
12 feet.
Question:
Will tree protection measures take place?
Response:
Yes.
Comment:
The Melaleucas make a nice pattern together. We should try our best not to lose any.
Question:
Would the current Master Plan work without the new Student Center design?
Response (DG):
It could work, just not as well.
Comment:
If we’re going to redesign the Student Center we must look at its uses. For example it
functions as a multi-purpose room and an L-shape configuration may not work for
large gathering.
Response (AL):
The idea is to have a conceptual plan in order to move forward for approval. We will
then have the opportunity to look at specific programming needs on an individual
project basis.
PALO ALTO HS LANDSCAPE
Programming and Design
Palo Alto Unified School District
16 March 2010 | Page 3
Comment:
It’s amazing that the Master Plan concept works with or without the Student Center
redesign. It is more than I expected. The current plan gets the conversation about the
Student Center going and if money comes up we have a fantastic plan to move
forward.
Comment:
The current Master Plan creates a cohesive center which focuses on our cherished
historic buildings.
Comment:
With the dramatic grade difference it seems to make a lot of sense to change the
student activity center. It could be truly be wonderful.
Comment:
Why was the Student Activity building built so high up?
Comment:
The Thomas Church courtyard on Stanford Campus is a lovely space. I know the
spaces around the quad are much larger than that scale but perhaps we could mimic
the feeling of the space.
Comment:
The El Camino field fence adjacent to the Tower Building is ugly. Could we break up
the space with some greenery?
Response (DG):
We can reduce some paving in that area and add green pockets, sneak a couple
more trees in.
Comment:
Can the 100 Building break up the building façade with, arches, trellis, seating
elements, banners, lights, and a kiosk. We will pick up on the historic architecture of
the Haymarket to tie it to the new Theater building.
Comment:
I really like the reworking of the Student Activity Center. It lends cohesiveness in a
subtle way. When we start the remodeling of the library, it should be treated as a
major entry and gathering space. People should be able to say “lets meet at the
library.”
It would be nice to tie the treatment of the library into that of the 100 building.
Comment:
Social gathering can be an issue near the library because it is intended to be a quiet
study space. Currently it is a problem that the densest gathering occurs near the
library at lunch.
PALO ALTO HS LANDSCAPE
Programming and Design
Palo Alto Unified School District
16 March 2010 | Page 4
Response (AL):
Once we look at the library program we can study such issues.
Comment:
A new Student Activity Center at the heart of campus would provide an opportunity for
student and adult meeting spaces.
Comment:
It is a prime location and could meet many needs. It could even serve complementary
functions with the new theater including evening use. Heat lamps could be placed in
the plaza.
3. Aimee Lopez (AL) summarized the next steps including the following:
• Update landscape plans based on comments
• Hold one more LSC meeting to finalize the Master Plan
• Take the Master Plan to the Board in April
• Use the conceptual master plan to finalize the the building designs which will
be going to DSA in June
Response (EL):
We will also need to design the connection between the quad and the Churchill
entrance.
Response (AL):
The details of that design require traffic coordination. Conceptually a plan for the
area will be included in the Master Plan, but at the design detail level it will be treated
as part of the stadium project.
Comment:
I think it is good the way the design has been started at the core and worked out
toward the edges. It has been a very functional way to go about it.
Comemnt by Chuck McDonnell (CM):
The portables are coming out in 60 days. What is the plan for what to do about the
existing memorials?
Comment:
We talked about using the proposed Memorial Plaza as a Prototype for testing
materials.
Response (AL):
We will need to coordinate the Memorial Garden with the Master Plan.
Question:
Will the bleacher plan be included in the Master Plan?
Response (AL):
It will be included conceptually, but detailed as a separate project.
Palo Alto School District – Palo Alto High School
Landscape Sub-Committee Meeting 3.16.10
Name E-mail
Aimee Lopez alopez@pausd.org
Ann Anderson aa@andpac.com
Kirsten Essenmacher Lpessenmacher@yahoo.com
Chuck McDonnell cmcdonnell@pausd.org
Ruth Gordon rgalfonso@earthlink.net
Nancy Bjork ncbjork@sbcglobal.net
Gina Chavez-Larudee gina@dgates.com
Erwin Lee elee@dlm.com
Kara Rosenberg krosenberg@pausd.org
David Gates david@dgates.com
Mary Gordon rgalfonso@earthlink.net
Jerry Berkson jberkson@pausd.org
Heidi Rank hrank@pausd.org
Anne Ingels aeingels@yahoo.com