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by David Smernoff Between February and August of 1997, I spent every Saturday tearing down buildings at the Arastradero Preserve. Despite the fact that many of us would rather have used the structures for our stewardship project at the preserve, I must admit, it was fun, educational, and quite exciting at times! And now, it's time to build a new facility! On June 25, the Palo Alto City Council formally approved the Arastradero Preserve Gateway Facility, and enlisted Arkin-Tilt Architects to design the building. It will contain an office for the rangers and stewards and a meeting space for visitors and community volunteers. We'll also have public restrooms, storage space for restoration tools and supplies, and drinking water for people, dogs, and horses (separate troughs!). One of the most exciting features of the new building will be its green design and operations. It will utilize passive solar heating and cooling, straw bale construction, photovoltaic solar panels, and reused materials that were salvaged from the old house and barn. As part of the building process, we will engage community volunteers in putting up straw bales and assisting with other tasks. We are working now to encourage the City to develop a request for proposals that takes maximum advantage of volunteer labor. This will bring down the total cost, and encourage community involvement in the construction of this exciting new green gateway to the Arastradero Preserve. David Smernoff is a Co-Executive Director of Acterra and Director of the Arastradero Preserve Stewardship Project. We're not certain which trough he'll be drinking out of.  www.Arastradero.org Acterra's Arastradero Preserve Stewardship Project www.city.palo-alto.ca.us City of Palo Alto's page about the preserve www.ArkinTilt.com Arkin-Tilt Architects — Ecological planning and design |
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