Santa Cruz City Schools Educator Housing / This affordable, multi-family, 100-unit residential project, intended for school district employees and bond-funded, has a design-build delivery method with an estimated completion of 2028.  Conceptualized as housing in a park setting, the landscape design strategically borrows views from the adjacent school's open field, extends the natural landscape into the residential space, and blends existing greenery into the built environment.  By integrating outdoor communal gathering spaces with a range of sizes and uses, the landscape fosters a sense of community and promotes spending time in nature.  The site design prioritizes connectivity to circulation routes and optimized views, while materials such as site-salvaged logs and concrete complement the neighborhood’s design aesthetic and ensure durability in the coastal environment.  Overall, the landscape was designed to both enhance the residential living experience for educators and harmonize with Santa Cruz’s unique character.

Rendered view; in collaboration with EHDD

Owner: Santa Cruz City Schools
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Dates: 2024-current
Size: 120,604 GSF of buildings on a 4-acre site
Cost: $80 million
General Contractor: Bogard Construction
Architect of Record: EHDD
Associate Architect:‍ ‍Studio Vara
Civil Engineer: Ifland Engineers
Structural Engineer: FTF Engineering
Electrical Engineer:‍ ‍Point Energy Innovations

Rendered view; in collaboration with EHDD

Rendered view; in collaboration with EHDD

Rendered aerial view; in collaboration with EHDD

Illustrative landscape site plan