New Palm Springs Campus Master Plan, College of the Desert

Strategically located adjacent to downtown Palm Springs, the new Palm Springs 27 acre satellite campus for College of the Desert will epitomize innovation and excellence in environmental design and architecture for students and the community within the surrounding Coachella Valley region. The campus will support the College of the Desert’s vision of communicating knowledge through innovation in education and creative industry partnerships in Hospitality and Tourism, Digital Arts, Sustainability and Health Care. By educating and inspiring the workforce of tomorrow, the new College of the Desert site and environs will enable new and innovative community and industry partnerships, a key tenet of its vision.

MASTER PLAN GOALS

Leadership + Innovation:

·         Foster innovation for a new 21st Century learning model.

·         Shape buildings, campus open spaces and interstitial environments to promote collaboration and interaction.

·         Anticipate key strategic assets and utilization in land development and infrastructure investments to sustain College of the Desert’s excellence long into the future.

Sustainability + Stewardship:

·         Build upon and reflect the District’s recent 2020 Strategic Plan and 2020 Environmental Impact Report.

·         Embody a sustainable campus philosophy that features best practices and stewardship of the environment.

·         Integrate demonstrable sustainability features for hands-on learning.

Place + Identity:

·         Frame views, at multiple scales, into the heart of campus, and outwards to the San Jacinto Mountains through the careful configuration of future buildings and open spaces.

·         Respect and celebrate the unique architectural heritage of Mid-Century Modernism in Palm Springs.

·         Leverage the campus’ unique adjacency to downtown Palm Springs by enhancing campus and community connectivity and its spectacular setting at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains.

Campus + Community:

·         Shape new campus gateways to strengthen campus and student identity and connectivity to the community.

·         Enhance visibility of academic and associated infrastructure to the community.

·         Address common interests of campus and community by creating a safe environment for pedestrians and bicycle riders at the campus perimeter with managed service and vehicular access.

Foster a sense of campus community by enhancing campus zones and linking them through pedestrian promenades and to adjacent community assets.