For almost two decades, CALA has worked with the City of Fairfield on various parks and recreation projects. Through many outreach efforts, Council presentations, park openings and other events, we developed a love for the community. In 2022, CALA had the opportunity to give back, and we couldn’t wait to help!
We were asked to provide support for a local organization, Shelter Inc. with their SHELTER Solano Dining Hall and Kitchen Facility. This facility will not only feed the shelter residents but also provide training in the culinary arts as another tool in working their way to self-sufficiency.
Our Sustain Action group took on the task of organizing a charrette design to look for solutions for the yard space behind the new building. We then designed the planting, irrigation and pathway design that highlights the new building and connects it with the residential units. The group also helped the client envision the facility beyond the new building and provided master planning design solutions to address the pet area, bike parking, and other gathering spaces within the SHELTER Solano complex.
All this culminated with a work day on November 19th,2022 where members of the Sustain Action group (Iqra, Ben and myself) helped a team of volunteers plant the remaining shrubs around the buildings.
It sometimes feels hard to find the time to do anything extra beyond the busy schedule of a landscape architecture professional, but I think I can speak for the whole CALA family when I say that this has been a very rewarding experience and I feel grateful to be able to help. I am excited to find more opportunities in 2023 like these to further serve the communities we work in, and maybe some new ones as well!
To learn more about the SHELTER Solano facility click here
