Sharing Economy was part of the Counter Culture since the 60s. It was an integral part of Rock n’ Roll and computer science, yet it has only recently started to enter the repertoire of architects and planners.

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Controversies started to emerge as the city fabric and sharing economy collide. Zipcars, Airbnb, Uber, Jump Bike arrived and instigate urban protests around the world. You Tube and Online Open Courseware (MOOC) disrupt entire higher educational industries. Yet there is still much room for architects to think about how to design buildings and facilities that actively response to this new type of shared usage.

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In 2015, dsk architects developed the design for the City of Emeryville in its joint-use project with Emeryville Unified School District. The project includes building new sport fields, and school facilities, and a library that can be used by the public at night.

 

Campuses can gain untapped revenue by sharing sports facilities with the public in the evening while the city gains unused space and saves the cost of having to build a new community center.

 

This project is one of the most remarkable projects in the California Public School system. It combines the Elementary School, Secondary School, and Pre-K classroom with the Senior Center and the City Community Services. The passing of State Bill 1080 has enabled this project to move forward.

 

The over arching concepts of 21st century Learning Environments are integrated into every aspect of thinking in this “Full Service Community School”. The project specifically embraces the concepts of  Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in a holistic way.  Although it has a science rich STEAM (add the A for Arts) core, the project intends to include the concepts of project based learning campus wide. 

 

The project includes the expected classroom allocation for 900 students along with a shared gym and pool, community multipurpose rooms, athletic and play fields, and science gardens.  At the heart of the site is the central court which shifts in use during the day, during the weekend and for special events with a full supporting exterior stage.

 

The Emeryville Center of Community Life received the Urban Land Institute’s Global Excellence Awards in 2017 along with 12 other projects from Asia, Europe, and North American region for its innovative programs and time-shared concept.

 

“So novel was the City-School district partnership that it required state legislation to modify the California Educational Code, which prior to enactment restricted non-school use of school buildings. School Board President John Affeldt stated, Communities across the nation will be looking to Emeryville to emulate our unique partnership.”

-- Betel Yona, Urban Land Institute