SFDC launches “Green and Bold”

The proposed plan to renovate Marin’s St. Vincent School for Boys will require the joint efforts of Green and Bold and Philanthropy by Design.

On her frequent visits to China, Margaret Collard, founder and principal of International Art Properties, Inc., observed the gradual progress of a greening program that transformed cities such as Beijing and Shanghai from dreary, barren landscapes to park-like environments. While standing on a rooftop in downtown San Francisco and observing how much the gray concrete of sidewalks and buildings dominated the landscape, Margaret decided to put her energies into greening her own city, and Green and Bold was born.

The launch of the initiative took place last year at the San Francisco Design Center’s annual Design San Francisco conference. The final program of the three-day event was a lively panel discussion about the future of green design. The panelists included: Astrid Haryati, the Greening Director at the City and County of San Francisco; John Loomis, Principal of the SWA Group and landscape architect for the California Academy of Sciences; April Phillips, President of April Phillips Design Works; Mary Ann Schickentanz from Carver and Schickentanz; and Eric Corey Freed of Organic Architects.

Encouraged by the success of the Green and Bold panel as well as the enthusiasm of many of the members, Collard and Rhonda Hirata, Director of Marketing for the SFDC, formed a volunteer group to work with local nonprofits to offer pro-bono landscape and design services. Since then, two major projects were launched:

The before-and-after plan for St. Dominic’s Church in San Francisco

In San Francisco, they chose St. Dominic’s Church, a historic 1874 landmark that takes up an entire block in the Western Addition. The Gothic church, which is undergoing a seismic retrofit, will benefit from a redesigned landscape spearheaded by Davis Dalbok of Living Green and Tim O’Shea of Greenworks. Mary Ann Schicketanz designed the parking lot with trees and gardens and will be planning the renovation of the school, which will include a community center to serve women and children.

* Proceeds from the champagne purchased during the Design San Francisco closing party on February 5th will go towards St. Dominic’s Tree Fund (for each $5 glass of champagne, $3 will go to the Tree Fund).

St. Vincent's gothic facade.

In San Rafael, Green and Bold has teamed up with Philanthropy by Design to help renovate St. Vincent’s School for Boys, an agency of Catholic Charities. The center is a long-term residential treatment center for boys between the ages of 7 and 19 that come from all over California. St. Vincent’s School for Boys will be enhanced by a new landscape design by Carolyn and Dave Anderson of Monarch Gardens as as well as the remodel of five residences led by Catherine Grison of Your French Accent with the help of Philanthropy By Design.

* Philanthropy by Design is still looking for volunteers to help create cheerful and welcoming interiors of St. Vincent’s School for Boys.

The next Green and Bold panel discussion will return to Design San Francisco on Friday, February 5, 2009 at 3 PM, when the team will report on their progress and engage new volunteers to support their efforts.

Kudos to the following for their generous involvement in Green and Bold:

Carolyn and Dave Anderson, Monarch Gardens
Margaret Collard, International Art Properties
Davis Dalbok, Living Green
Catherine Grison, Your French Accent
Ladies of the San Francisco Consular Corps
Terry Ohm, Ohm Lighting
Natalia Severdia, White Arch Studio
Tim O’Shea, Greenworks
Linda Schanfein, Philanthropy by Design
Mary Ann Schicketanz, Carver + Schicketanz