Working with the community of El Cerrito, Carducci & Associates, Inc. designed a civic center that
will function both as a city hall and as a didactic landscape. Using removable bollards, traffic
can be limited, thus creating a central plaza for community events. The landscape is comprised
entirely of native and drought tolerant plants. There are a variety of planting areas, each
demonstrating a unique image of California’s diverse ecology including; woodland, chaparral, riparian,
meadow, and vernal pool. The central feature is a fountain which evokes a mountain creek making its
journey from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Pacific Ocean. A visitor will see evidence of the
changing seasons as the fountain flow changes and the meadow planting reacts to the varied water
supply. The design also includes a geology/city history walk, harvested rain water from the building,
local materials, memorials and opportunities for public art work.
Fountain
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Entrance
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Civic 
