Stanislaus County Agriculture Center

Pacific Design Associates provided the master planning conceptual design for the ten acre Ag Center Project for LPA Architects.  The site demanded a focal point oriented on the corner of Crows Landing and Service Roads.  The site required a bisecting visual line from that corner to the remote POST site, approximately 1200 feet away. A 45 degree access road connecting the two main roads provides the access to the five large structures of the project circling the major water feature.  The design was developed from our initial concept of a family farm gradually growing larger and more sophisticated.  Although the project is only partially constructed at this time, the master plan can be appreciated with a personal visit to the site.

The $9,600,000.00 complex has 97,256 sf of offices, conference center & warehousing.  The project includes five main structures on the major axis of the central courtyard.  The focal building is the future Pavilion, anchoring the sight line which bisects the entries of the Pavilion and the Conference Center, extending from the road intersection through to the Police Officer Training Center (P.O.S.T.).  A perpendicular access road connects the public access roads of Service and Crows Landing.  “A Country Farm Grown Up” is the theme of the governing design concept.  The principal buildings house offices for the U.C. Ag Extension, the Agricultural Commissioner and the County Department of Environmental Resources, a conference center and warehousing.  The site traffic circulation road creates a wagon wheel loop around the site allowing complete and convenient access to each structure.  “Orchard” parking is grouped between the central campus buildings and the P.O.S.T. allowing off hours use by each facility.  The site landscaping is designed to be both demonstration test plots for new plants and applications of various growing techniques as well as enhancing the environment.  PDA was the architectural design consultant to LPA, and is the design architect for the Pavilion project which is in the funding phase.  Donald W. Phillips AIA, Principal-in-Charge, Randall Cavanagh AIA, Project Architect.