Building for Community and Innovation

The Mondavi Institute is the realization of the university’s vision to create a center for global innovation in academic wine and food programs. To service the student population, the institute provides shared learning spaces for the two departments including interaction areas on multiple levels. To draw in the public, the sensory theater is used for outreach and educational activities. The Good Life Garden contains a changing edible landscape, featuring organic and sustainably grown vegetables, herbs and flowers paired with educational signage for the benefit of students, staff and visitors. The Spaces in Between The Good Life Garden aims to educate the public on ways to purchase and grow seasonal vegetables for optimal taste and highest nutrition. Visitors and students wander in the garden and learn about the plants. The three-building complex features a brise-soleil and outdoor walking paths to fuse indoor and outdoor spaces. A mature olive garden was relocated from a neglected part of campus in order to thrive and bear fruit for the university’s Olive Center.