Contact: Rachel Henry
805-756-7236; rrhenry@calpoly.edu

Students Design Landscape for Center for Science and Mathematics

SAN LUIS OBISPO — The new Warren J. Baker Center for Science and Mathematics is providing Learn by Doing opportunities before the building has even been completed.

The area between the remaining wing of Building 52 and the new center, now home to a big pile of dirt and a lot of construction equipment, will become one of the campus's central open spaces. This summer, the landscape architecture students in Professor Omar Faruque's Design Theory and Exploration Focus Studio took a shot at designing the space.

Faruque chose the assignment to give students some real-world experience. "I'm a strong believer that students shouldn't just do a nice pretty drawing of a design," Faruque said. "The more real the project is, the better education they get."
 
The students toured the building and grounds and then met with their client, Dean Phil Bailey, to get a sense of his vision for the space. They also met with Cal Poly Project Manager Barbara Queen, who coordinates construction of the center for Cal Poly, and Scott Loosely, assistant director for operations, who oversees the grounds on campus.

Third-year landscape architecture major Matthew Parker said that the on-site experience made this assignment unique. "We actually went to a site that was under construction and got to meet the construction manager and various people who are involved in making this happen," Parker said. "Putting on the hard hats and getting a tour — that was really fun."

Students then worked in teams to develop a plan that addressed the client's needs. The plan incorporated input from the client, students, faculty and staff and provided the framework for design solutions that integrated the landscape and the building.

"I learned a great deal about working with a client," Parker said. "That helped me hone my design and really design something they wanted."

Bailey met with the students several times throughout the summer and was impressed by their continuous improvement. "The students' growing ability to listen to the client yet not feel limited in expressing creativity was obvious. Their communication skills and confidence also grew as the level of design and detail became more sophisticated," Bailey said.

At the end of the summer, the students presented their final design solutions to Bailey and staff members from Facilities Services who will participate in choosing the design for the space. President Armstrong and faculty and staff members from the college also attended the presentations.

Though the final design will likely be done by a professional firm, the students' ideas may influence the final product. "These students came up with some ideas the campus hasn't thought of before," Faruque said.

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