2011 Green California Community College Summit
October 17-18, 2011
Pasadena Convention Center

Planning for the Future: Incorporating Sustainability into a Campus Master Plan
Presented by Sally Foster, Dean, San Elijo Campus at MiraCosta College; Tom Macias, Director of Facilities, MiraCosta Community College District; Sheryl Sterry, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Education Facilities Planner, HMC Architects; Eera Babtiwale, LEED AP, Environmental Analyst, HMC Architects

Attendees of this presentation will gain a better understanding of how sustainability is optimized when implemented at the macro level of the master plan, as evidenced by the best practices learned through MiraCosta’s recent planning exercises.

Located in north San Diego County, MiraCosta Community College District is currently in the process of developing their Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP), which will guide the district through development for the next 30 years. At the heart of this planning effort, is the goal to “develop interrelated plans that will establish models of environmentally sustainable practices.” To effectively build upon MiraCosta’s more than 12 years’ devotion to “green” principles,  the CMP project team (which includes experts from architecture, energy, open space, water and wastewater, land use, and architectural landscape disciplines) defined the aspects of sustainability that were most important to the campuses and their users. As a result of a full day of workshop with multiple stakeholders from all three of the District’s campuses, three main categories reflecting MiraCosta’s educational, environmental, and community-based objectives were identified: Leadership in Sustainability, Environmental Preservation, and Transform Campus into a Living Lab. The developing CMP incorporates each of these categories into a document that will be used for all existing and future development at the MiraCosta Community College District’s campuses.