San Jose, California

Opened in 2020, Berryessa Station is one of six planned stations that will serve the 16-mile BART extension into Santa Clara County. The unique siting near the confluence of Upper Penitencia and Coyote Creeks inspired the thematic and cultural focus for our station area landscape design and the campus urban design. MMP’s design introduces natural forms such as undulating concrete bands, emblematic of the creek’s flowing water, and waves of decorative earth-toned permeable paving that extend into the station’s concourse. Informally arranged raised planters filled with large shade trees provide a tangible link to the natural creek setting.

Berryessa Station Way, the curvilinear entry road, is flanked with informally arranged larger trees building on the area’s creekside character. The plantings are a mix of broadleaf evergreen and deciduous trees as well as several varieties of conifers. This scheme is carried through the parking lots and into the riparian setback zones. A significant quantity of large trees is used to balance the scale of the station and adjacent seven-story parking structure with the rest of the campus. From the station platform, the resulting green canopy screens the access road and parking lot from view.

MMP provided services from early planning studies through construction documentation and implementation. In the Conceptual Design Phase, we participated in the community design process and led the discussion on the landscape and urban design approaches. Formal design review approvals were obtained from VTA and the City of San Jose.

Owner/Client: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

Team Lead: WMH Corporation