Roseland District Office

The School District desired a new District Office that would reflect the agricultural history of their community site, strengthen collaboration, and provide a civic room to the community. The District valued a transparent discernible vocabulary for visitors that was inviting and approachable. The selected site made use of a narrow linear leftover portion of a school parcel separated by a creek from the main campus on the north side. The floor plan evolved from addressing these constraints and leveraging them to support the client’s program.

Design Challenge

The design team chose to metaphorically harness a local vernacular, apple processing buildings, and utilize its volume as a backbone for the open office context. The team split the building into common public facing functions and secured functions, with the barn doors being the agricultural version of shoji screens to redefine room boundaries based on functional use. The barn doors provide an open inviting transition between offices and support functions when open. When closed, they secure District Office workstations from after-hours use of the community room, restrooms, break room, and back patio.

Physical Context

The team capitalized on the diffused northerly light with a clerestory and oversized windows. Workstations were huddled for collaboration with open voluminous daylit space creating a friendly environment. Breakout rooms and walk up stations provided flexibility for staff. The southern roof is situated for future photovoltaics. The stained concrete floors represent fertile soil and the reclaimed wood walls were recycled from a local Sonoma County fence. sustainable design strategies ▪North facing glazing to maximize use of available natural light ▪Stained concrete slab flooring with fly ash ▪CALGreen compliant glazing and insulation ▪Clerestory windows for enhanced daylighting ▪Low flow toilet facility ▪Ample use of recycled materials