Santa Rosa Junior College engaged Verde Design to develop a comprehensive master plan for its athletic facilities. This plan encompassed various components, including the baseball, softball, and soccer fields, as well as aquatic facilities featuring a 500-meter pool and associated amenities. Additionally, the project aimed to repurpose existing athletic spaces into a new classroom dedicated to athletics and to construct a modern track and field facility. This facility is designed to include new bleachers, coaches’ offices, a training room, locker rooms, and a weight room. Furthermore, the master planning process incorporated the creation of an athletic plaza, which features a wall-of-fame monument to honor outstanding achievements.
Upon the completion of the master plan, Verde Design was retained to initiate the design phase for the track and field facility. The campus is characterized by numerous historic oak trees, including two situated within the northern D-Zone of the field. The design strategy was carefully crafted to preserve these oak trees, particularly one that was located adjacent to the northern football end-zone; however, the decision was made to remove this tree during construction. The project included the installation of an all-weather track, which accommodates various athletic events such as discus, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and steeplechase, along with a designated area for shot put and a synthetic turf practice area for shot put and football warm-ups. Additional features of the project encompassed new walkways surrounding the track, a protective track fence, and an integrated stormwater management system designed to facilitate effective drainage through the use of large pipes and weir plates at specific junction boxes, allowing for the gradual release of water back into the existing stormwater system.
