This spring marks a milestone in hands-on, community-centered design as students from Woodbury University School of Architecture and the University of Redlands come together to build meaningful infrastructure for the Sustainable University of Redlands Farm (SURF).
This unique partnership supports SURF—the Sustainable University of Redlands Farm, an educational and agricultural site dedicated to sustainable practices, food justice, and community wellness. Together, the universities are building physical and creative infrastructure that will serve as a living lab for future programming.
Pictured: Studio models built by Woodbury School of Architecture students.
Woodbury’s architecture students, led by March Studio’s Todd Erlandson and Jeanine Centuori, Woodbury University Professor and Director of the Agency for Civic Engagement (ACE) program, designed and constructed five programmatic buildings, including a Chicken Coop, Entry Pavilion, Propagation Station, Produce and Wine Harvesting Station, and Outdoor Classroom. Each structure was prefabricated on Woodbury’s campus in Burbank by student teams working in groups of four, combining research, design, and construction into a powerful studio model.
To bring coherence and narrative to the site, the team is collaborating with the Creative Action program at Otis College of Art and Design, led by faculty member Lara Hoad and artist Elkpen. The students developed a graphic identity—signage, color palettes, and visual storytelling tools—to unite the new buildings and reflect SURF’s core values.
The result is a site that functions not only as a productive farm but also as an educational and cultural landmark—infused with meaning, placemaking, and community voice.
Pictured: Students hard at work building their structures before transport to the farm.
This partnership embodies what education can be when it's rooted in collaboration, real-world challenges, and place-based learning. As students across institutions co-create infrastructure for SURF, they are also shaping the future of how we design, grow, and live together.
Now complete and open to the community, the new programmatic structures at SURF are set to support learning, growing, and gathering for years to come. Designed and built by students from multiple institutions, these spaces foster curiosity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to sustainability. Stay tuned as this living project continues to evolve!
