California College of the Arts
EN-3: Student Life

Future Action Reclamation Mob (FARM): FARM is a CCA student-run club stretching across all majors for anyone interested in growing (themselves or some plants). Through reclaiming unused public and private space FARM aims to build community through the cultivation of plants. With several variations of FARM currently in the works, the Hooper chapter of FARM works to revitalize the city‐owned land adjacent to CCA’s San Francisco campus and runs an organic vegetable garden on the Back Lot, CCA's multi-purpose outdoor zone in SF .

The college has two working gardens on each campus. The garden in Oakland is a curricular tied to "Soil to Studio". Soil to Studio explores regenerative design, introducing students to nontoxic natural dyes cultivated through urban gardening and giving them insight into the politics, aesthetics and practice of natural dyeing. On the SF campus the garden is overseen by the student group, FARM, and in partnership with Facilities host a variety of events. https://www.cca.edu/about/sustainability https://www.cca.edu/academics/community-arts/garden

Impact: Social Entrepreneurship Awards Annual student grants ($10k) for Social Entrepreneurship.

Several initiatives Architectural Ecologies Lab https://www.architecturalecologies.cca.edu/ Buoyant Ecologies Maldives MArch/BArch Advanced Studio: https://www.architecturalecologies.cca.edu/#/buoyant-ecologies-maldives/ The Architectural Ecologies Lab at California College of the Arts serves as a platform for collaborative research between designers, scientists, and manufacturers. Operating at the intersection of architecture, fabrication, and ecology, the lab merges spatial practice with innovative techniques of material production and rigorous ecological research. The lab’s work leverages interdisciplinary expertise and meaningful collaborations with science and industry to develop compelling architectural strategies to address ecological challenges like sea level rise, habitat restoration, and climate change. The lab explores how ecological performance can inform innovative approaches to architectural form, material assemblies, and manufacturing processes. Central to the lab’s work is a commitment to experimental fabrication processes, full-scale prototyping, and proof-of-concept tests that extend design ideas beyond the academic studio and into the real world. Buoyant Ecologies team also on Public Sediment team for Resilience by Design - Bay Area Challenge http://www.resilientbayarea.org/public-sediment CCA/Urban Works Agency Resilience by Design - Bay Area Challenge Two advanced studio courses in MArch/BArch this year All Bay Collective http://www.resilientbayarea.org/the-all-bay-collective/ Andrew Kudless + Nathan Lynch Wild Domestic MArch/BArch Advanced Studio https://www.architecturalecologies.cca.edu/#/wild-domestic/ Bouyant Ecologies (2015-present) An ongoing collaborative research project by CCA and Autodesk Workshop at Pier 9 in partnership with the Benthic Lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. The projects investigate public engagement, ecology and material research through a focus on new visions for San Francisco’s waterfront. Oikonos Wildlife Restoration (2010-present) CCA students worked in partnership with the Oikonos Wildlife Restoration program to protect the nests of an endangered bird species off the California coast. Students came together to design, build, and deploy clay nesting modules strong enough to withstand being inadvertently crushed by elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo Island.

1. Students were involved in selecting the architectural firm finalist for the campus unification with a special eye towards sustainable practice: https://www.cca.edu/news/2016/11/15/california-college-arts-selects-studio-gang-design-unified-campus-san-francisco 2) Levi's Unzipped Film screening hosted at CCA. The film was produced by Levi Strauss Foundation grantee Remake – an organization dedicated to igniting a conscious consumer movement. 2) 2) As part of New Student Orientation week, a program called "Chimera Quest" invites students to visit a local partner (e.g. Center for Creative Reuse, SCRAP) while using Bay Area public transportation. The focus is educating students on alternative sources for making material and teaching public transportation etiquette. https://www.cca.edu/news/2017/04/28/levis-unzipped-film-takes-young-designers-around-world-see-where-fashion-made

Materials ReUse Center Students, faculty, and staff can leave, take, and reuse all sorts of materials and items: wood, plastic and foam, metals, electronics, books and paper, odds and ends -- anything that's safe and reusable for use in projects. https://sites.google.com/a/cca.edu/campus/sf-campus-news/back-lot/materialreusecenternowopenonthebacklot https://www.cca.edu/news/sustainability

FARM fellows, funded from President's Sustainability Steering Group student employment opportunities are behind our login on our site

The Graduation Pledge is a pledge that graduating students make to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job they consider, and to try to improve these aspects of any organization for which they work.

Earth Week, Bicycle Coalition partnership, and Student Sustainability Award: A series of events focused on sustainability such as swapping materials, navigating Bay Area public transportation, etc. throughout the academic year. In addition to a week-long program timed during Earth Week, we have established partnerships with the Bicycle Coalition to help teach the community on how to bike in the city. Also, there is the Student Sustainability Award which recognizes students who demonstrated academic excellence and a commitment to being a sustainability leader at the college. Students may show leadership in terms of environmental, cultural, social, financial, and personal sustainability practices and principles.