Who We Are

In 1996, Todd Jersey, Principal of Todd Jersey Architecture (TJA, a green architecture firm) and Sam Kingore, formerly of TJA, decided to put their commitment to the health of our environment and the education of our children into action by creating The Living Laboratories Project (Living Labs). Living Labs gave them a way to donate environmental design services and project management skills to schools that want kids to learn about nature through first-hand experience. Since the inception of Living Labs, TJA has donated more than 1,000 hours of professional design services at five schools, where we have built ponds, wetlands, native landscapes, and edible gardens.

In 2009, Trey Farmer happily accepted the challenge as Director of Living Labs. Since taking on this new position, he has worked closely with Bishop O'Dowd re-envisioning their Living Lab. He is currently working with two potential projects
in Richmond and East Oakland.

Living Labs’ ultimate goal is to transform schools, one by one into eco-systems based living laboratories. We want to create a generation of young people who are aware of their surroundings and natural habitat, and who want to get involved in their own education, moving from a passive rote memory based experience to an active whole-systems based experience.

Currently many of the schools in the East Bay and beyond are in dire need of facilities to provide such experiences. Schools are over-paved and under-funded and in many cases entire communities are without access to any kind of green space for out-of-school experiences. The Living Labs Project exists to foster a new generation of students who are leaders and stewards, engaged with their surroundings, and involved in their local environment and food production. Through mere hours a week in a vibrant, growing, natural space learning and playing these young people will be given the opportunity to thrive and learn and will leave having seen that they really can change their surroundings for the better.

Advisory Committee

Kamala Bennett and Geoff Hall
Sentient Landscape
Sebastopol, CA
707.829.3055
www.sentientlandscape.com

Brent Bucknum
Hyphae Design
Oakland, CA
510.455.4474
http://hyphae.net

Annie Prutzman
Bishop O'Dowd High School
Oakland, CA
510.577.9100 x115
www.bishopodowd.org

Gordon Piper
Oakland School and Community Gardens
Oakland, CA
510.843.3828

Michael Laham
Questa Engineering
Richmond, CA
510.236.6114 x212
www.questaec.com

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