Berryessa BART Transit Oriented Development

Berryessa BART

Transit Oriented Development

June 6, 2016 Team Members: Parker Barnes Celine Cua Lucas del Toro Michelle Dallalah Junha Hwang Rommy Joyce Yuju Lin Jack Lundquist

CONTENTS

3

Project Team

5

The Future of the Flea Market

7

Site Specifications

9

Parking Plan

11

Site Circulation

13

Placemaking Strategy

15

Ecodistrict Plan 16

Water

21

Energy

22

Overcoming Project Challenges

24

Conclusion 1

The Berryessa BART Transit Oriented Development Designing for vibrancy Engineering for sustainability Planning for feasibility

2

PROJECT TEAM Parker Barnes (parkerb@stanford.edu) is a second-year graduate student pursuing an MA in Business and MS in Environmental Science. Prior to Stanford, Parker worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Sydney, Australia, in BCG's Energy and Natural Resources practice. Before BCG, Parker worked for Trina Solar, one of China’s largest solar panel manufacturers, in Shanghai.

Celine Cua (ccua@stanford.edu) is pursuing an M.S. in Environmental Engineering and Science at Stanford and received a B.S. in the same field from Johns Hopkins University.

She has previously worked with the Maryland Department of Environment to increase the use of Aquifer Storage and Recovery in Maryland and with the Pasig River Rehabilitation in the Philippines to improve urban stream water quality. In the future, she plans to work in urban planning for sustainability and resilience.

Michelle Dallalah (dallalah@stanford.edu) is a senior pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Systems Engineering. Her studies focus on urban systems and she is particularly interested in urban water infrastructure and resource management. She has worked previously on sustainability issues related to water and sanitation systems within a developing world context.

Lucas Del Toro (ldeltoro@stanford.edu) is a junior B.S. candidate in Civil & Environmental Engineering. He is interested in structural engineering, energy efficient building design, and socially responsible urban development and planning. This summer he will be part of two non-profit internships, the first with Live Free in Oakland, the second implementing building energy retrofits with the Community Home Energy Retrofit Project in Claremont, CA. 3

Junha Hwang (junha@stanford.edu) is a freshman majoring in Architectural Design. She also plans to minor in Psychology and Studio Art, further exploring how all these interests interplay to foster a more creative design thinking and experience. Her favourite design inspirations come from food and fungi (moldy food! It’s ugly yet powerful and beautiful) Rommy Joyce (rjoyce@stanford.edu) is a graduate student in the Sustainable Design and Construction Master program. Before Stanford, she worked at the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) as a year-round electrical engineering intern. At Stanford, she helped to develop Keewi, a management system that helps to reduce electricity consumption and to change consumer behavior.

Yuju Lin (yujul@stanford.edu) is a first-year master student in the Environmental Engineering and Science Program. She received her B.S degree in Natural Resource and Environmental Science from University of Illinois Urbana-champaign. She is interested in water resource management and she is also interested in Computer science and want to explore how computer science could be used in protecting the environment and saving energy.

Jack Lundquist (jlundqui@stanford.edu) is a junior pursuing a B.S. in Civil Engineering.

He has worked previously with the City of Oakland’s Resilience Initiative. His interests are in the many complex intersections of natural, manmade, and societal systems that make up the urban fabric. In the future, he hopes to explore how modern computing, data analytics, and urban informatics can help us understand and improve the lives of urban dwellers around the world.

4

The Future of the Flea Market: A Transit Oriented Urban Village The San Jose Flea Market has been a cultural and economic institution in San Jose for 56 years, serving as both a small business incubator and cultural hub for local residents. It is also adjacent to the first BART station that will reach San Jose, making it a nexus for future economic growth in the city. Recognizing this potential, the City of San Jose’s General Plan for 2040 has identified the flea market site and the surrounding area as a future “Regional Transit Urban Village,” which is defined by high density, quality urban design, and a focus on employment growth. However, in order to achieve this goal, there are a variety of challenges that must be overcome. The site is surrounded by single family residential and light industrial zones, which is quite unlike the dense, urban environment the city hopes to see. Because of this lack of context for high density commercial development, an investment of this type is both riskier and pricier than a more traditional residential development. Furthermore, questions of community conservation remain, seeing that flea market vendors are likely to be displaced.

Our team strongly believes that, in order to overcome these challenge and create the “Urban Village” envisioned by the city, future development on this site must be ambitious in pursuing a vision of a truly urban* development that draws on the legacy of the flea market for an organic sense of character. If done right, the area has the potential to become the new face of the Silicon Valley: more urban, more sustainable, more vibrant, and a real (and likely more affordable!) alternative to the lifestyle of San Francisco that is in such high demand today. But if the site is developed in a more traditional manner, featuring single family homes and a separation of uses, it will not be as compelling to potential tenants and will likely fail to draw in the residents and businesses desired by the city. While certainly a huge risk, a truly urban development has the potential to transform San Jose into the focal point for tech in the South Bay and reward the developer with even more money than a more conservative development. We hope this paper will show that such a development is attractive and feasible for all parties involved. *for example, our site design has commercial density comparable to SOMA and residential density comparable to North Beach

5

SITE LOCATION

Sources: Google Maps and Borelli Investment Co.

6

7

SITE SPECIFICATIONS Zones

Residential sq-ftage

Office sq-ftage

Retail sq-ftage

DUs

Jobs

FAR DUs/acre

Required Parking

A1

0

890,000

0

0

3,000

5

0

2,700

A2

0

670,000

28,000

0

2,300

5

0

2,100

A3

0

640,000

28,000

0

2,200

5

0

2,000

A4

0

860,000

3,500

0

2,900

5

0

2,600

A5

0

1,280,000

24,000

0

4,400

5

0

3,900

B1

90,000

200,000

0

160

700

3

70

810

B2

350,000

19,000

18,000

630

120

3

210

870

B3

350,000

21,000

17,000

640

130

3

210

880

B4

0

930,000

0

0

3,100

4

0

2,800

C1

290,000

0

13,000

540

40

3

200

680

C2

220,000

0

11,000

400

40

2

180

510

Total

1,300,000

5,510,000

142,500

2,370

18,930

19,850

Types of Buildings Office/Retail Office Office/Retail/Residential Residential/Retail Residential

Landscape 100 Foot Setback Open Space

8

PARKING PLAN The Berryessa development provides on-street and off-street parking, consisting of integrated and underground parking garages, to serve the parking needs of future residents, employees, and visitors. All parking garages have visible and easily identifiable vehicle entrances to facilitate site circulation.

After calculating and evaluating the total parking space requirement by land use, the parking structures and on-street parking that were incorporated were designed to meet only 60% of total required in order to support and promote the use of bicycles and walking, ensuring a good multi-modal connectivity. Since this project site is located near the BART station, we also expect a considerable number of people using this mode of transportation; programs supporting the use of transit can also help to decrease the use of private cars within this development. Moreover, compact and mixed-use developments allow people to live, work, play, and shop in the vicinity, which increases walking trips and decreases driving trips.

Because of the characteristics of these type of developments, the Berryessa development can be served with less parking. Furthermore, autonomous vehicles will reduce the demand for parking. Studies suggest that autonomous car can potentially decrease parking space need from 60% to 80%.* For this reason, several parking structures on the site have been designed as flexible structures that can be retrofitted into residential or commercial space once parking spaces are no longer needed. *See “AUDI Urban Future Initiative B rings A utomated P arking Garage for S elf-­driving Cars to B oston-­Area” a t Designboom.com

9

P4 120 spaces

P7 110 spaces

P5 3,000 spaces

P8 78 spaces

P1 2,400 spaces

P9 100 spaces

P10 140 spaces

P2 2,400 spaces

P5 120 spaces

P3 2,500 spaces

P6 1,100 spaces 10

SITE CIRCULATION Our design provides easy access to private and public facilities for all modes of transportation, ensuring safe and easy travel across the site. In addition, our circulation plan reflects values of a sustainable urban life. By creating multi-modal circulation systems that are highly connected and contained within a cohesive land use plan, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also supporting social and economic vitality.

VEHICLE

PEDESTRIAN

BICYCLE

The vehicle circulation system has been designed to provide easy access to most points on the site besides the pedestrian promenade. The main street is a two-lane pedestrian and bicycle oriented street, featuring wide sidewalks, planting areas, cycle tracks, and on-street parking. The on-street parking and parking garages have been strategically placed in areas that facilitate the circulation of private cars throughout the development. Moreover, roundabouts were added to improve safety, offering a safer alternative to traditional traffic signals. These features, alongside an efficient circulation system, will enhance pedestrian and bicycle experience.

The pedestrian circulation system consists of a variety of different paths connecting across the site, motivating a diversity of unique walking experiences.

The geographic location of the site (near two creeks) provides the opportunity to create a path along both creeks for exclusive use of pedestrians. We added a pedestrian promenade to connect the BART station to the rest of the site, adding features like a plaza to create an active pedestrian environment. The wide sidewalks along vehicular streets also provide the opportunity to accommodate pedestrian public spaces that can serve as venues where residents and visitors will interact and patronize businesses. Moreover, the pedestrian circulation system is linked to a variety of parks that provide a green and pleasant environment.

A network of bicycle paths, lanes, routes, racks and bikeshare stations make the Berryessa development bicycle-friendly.

The main pedestrian street in the Berryessa development provides a path for the exclusive use of bicycles and pedestrians; the main vehicular street provides a lane designated for the exclusive use of bicycles; and the secondary vehicular streets are routes that share the road with bicycles. The bicycle circulation system in this development seeks to connect and integrate the Berryessa development with itself and to its surrounding neighborhoods.

Moreover, bikeshare stations are strategically placed throughout the site to increase accessibility to bicycles on site and promote multi-modal mobility.

11

Motorway Commercial Parking

VEHICLE

SITE CIRCULATION

Motorway Pedestrian/Sidewalks Alleys Bike paths Commercial Parking

Pedestrian/Sidewalks

Bike Paths

Alleys

Bike Lanes Bike Routes

BICYCLE

PEDESTRIAN

Bike Racks

12

PLACEMAKING STRATEGIES OPEN SPACE

ACTIVITIES

SEATING

We have incorporated a diversity of open spaces into our site design. The main features of our open space plan are the Central Plaza, Public Square and Main Community Park. There are also a variety of different parks on the site, from corporate rooftop gardens to private residential parks.

The network of parks spread throughout the site connects the pedestrian activities, ensuring that each path throughout the site is filled with beautiful green spaces.

Activities help establish the Berryessa Urban Village as a cultural hub in San Jose. The diagram to the right shows possible activities that could take place on the site, especially along the pedestrian axis.

We envision unique activities and events such as weekly farmer’s market (where flea market vendors will be brought back) and open air concerts.

While our interconnected network of parks and pedestrian paths ensures a pleasant walking experience throughout the site, we also wanted to design spaces for individuals to sit and interact on a slower, more intimate level. Cafe seating is built for restaurant-goers to eat outside, fixed seating to add aesthetic to the park, and flexible seating to allow users of large public spaces to create their own personalized experiences!

13

ACTIVITIES

OPEN SPACE

Large Public Semi-­private Residential Semi-­private Commercial

Ground Floor Retail Active Streets

MAIN PLAZA

SEATING

Fixed Seating Cafe Seating Flexible Seating

14

ECODISTRICT PLAN The ecodistrict design should foster a culture of social and environmental sustainability in Berryessa while simultaneously meeting the resource needs of its occupants.

WHAT IS AN ECODISTRICT? An ecodistrict is a neighborhood-scale set of integrated water, waste and energy infrastructure. By integrating these treatment-and-reuse systems, we are able to maximize the conservation and reuse of resources, thereby substantially reducing future utility bills and the overall environmental footprint.

WATER

WASTE

ENERGY

Our stormwater layout plan was based on a hybrid approach of stormwater management techniques in order to promote land use efficiency, system resilience, and placemaking.

Distributed LID measures throughout the site will capture runoff and also serve multiple other functions like pretreatment and placemaking, while a larger regional measure will be placed in the riparian setback for further treatment to ensure all regulations are effectively met.

We focused on utilizing wastewater as a resource by recycling it onsite for non-potable uses. Given the intended land use and density, we estimated both the greywater and blackwater supply and the nonpotable demand on each block, then explored potential locations for treatment facilities. We propose to first build a greywater recycling system for blocks with a mix of both residential and commercial uses, but plan for a future expansion into blackwater recycling.

With the aid of modern advances in battery storage and renewable energy technologies, decentralized generation and distribution allow communities to minimize carbon emissions and maximize energy independence. Our energy plan for Berryessa builds off existing examples of successful community-scale systems. At the core of our energy infrastructure proposal is the microgrid, which balances loads between the California grid, on- and off-site renewable electricity sources, and ensures efficient electricity use and distribution throughout Berryessa.

15

WATER Multi-­parameter design considerations Ecological Sustainability ●

Flood Control

●

Runoff Management

●

Water Quality Control

●

Environmental Protection

●

Water Conservation

Vibrancy & Aesthetic ●

Resiliency & Redundancy

Connecting Community to Environment

●

Ease of O&M

●

Efficiency of Land Use

●

Environmental awareness and education

●

Treatment Train approach

●

Public Placemaking

●

Alternative water s upplies

●

Beautification

●

Long-­range planning: future growth & opportunities

The framework which guided our decision-making was based on the three major indicators we believe make up a thriving urban environment: sustainability, vibrancy, and resilience. We narrowed down the metrics within each indicator that were relevant to water management on the site and iterated through designs that balanced and encompassed as many of the parameters as possible.

There are two main approaches to stormwater management that use green infrastructure: centralized and distributed. A centralized or regional approach would be to capture the sites runoff through curb cuts and storm drains and then transport that water through a system of underdrains to a large, nearby LID treatment measure. A distributed approach would be to capture and treat stormwater as close to its source as possible using smaller capacity LID measures throughout the site.

Both approaches have their advantages and drawbacks, but the biggest overall concern was that the regional approach would miss a majority of the opportunities to encompass metrics of sustainability, vibrancy, and resilience outlined. So we attempted to encompass the best of both worlds by adopting a hybrid approach we call a Stormwater Network System.

16

STORMWATER NETWORK SYSTEM When rainfall events occur, water on site will be captured by a distributed system of low impact development (LID) techniques which we designed to be integrated into the urban fabric of the site. These treatment measures are meant to serve multiple purposes, such as vibrant place making and stormwater management. Distributed LID features include: ● ●

● ●

●

Green roofs, placed at the top of parking structures. These not only increase the amount of green space on site, but can also be used to harvest rainwater and reduce stormwater runoff.

Tree box filters, placed along vehicular roads. They are a vital part of bringing life and greenery to the urban streetscape, but these mini bioretention cells are also an incredibly efficient way to capture and pre-treat runoff, which is particularly important along impermeable, lengthy vehicular streets that tend to carry high pollutant loads.

A detention basin in the central plaza. The basin serves two purposes: it is a place where people can gather for recreation when it is dry, but can also hold water during larger storm events.

Permeable pavement, placed along the main pedestrian streets. Permeable pavement is a U.S. EPA recommended best management practice for stormwater management. It effectively traps suspended solids, heavy metal, oils and other pollutants from runoff. Most impressively, it captures high volumes of water in short periods of time, excellent for reduction of peak flows.

Permeable pavement was not sited on motorways, since they will likely be heavily trafficked, which raises concerns of its loadbearing capacity, wear and tear as well as excessive pollutant loading, all of which potentially contribute to high rates of failure when not properly maintained. Easy access to pedestrian zones will help to prevent maintenance from being an issue.

Bioretention cells are placed at the two main roundabouts. It beautifies the streetscape while playing an important role in reducing the high loads of contamination in runoff from vehicular streets.

These features work together as a network to capture stormwater as close to its source as possible and provide on-site pretreatment, before it has the opportunity to collect many contaminants. From there, the pre-treated water either infiltrates into the ground, or is conveyed through a system of underdrains to the swales along the riparian setback of the site.

The swales function as the first measure in the regional treatment system. As water flows along the swale, it slows its velocity, allowing for some biological uptake, and enough time for the sedimentation of finer particles that often transport pollutants along with them. The water will then reach the main bioretention cell, which meets compliance with the C.3. Provision of the Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit for Santa Clara County. Water will be discharged into the cell at a consistent rate using flow control methods. A majority of the water will infiltrate into the ground, and the rest will be released to the streams on either side of the site, no longer posing a threat to the health of the ecosystem or downstream water bodies like the San Francisco Bay.

17

1.

http://www.sfbetterstreets.org

Image Sources: 1.

Swale: http://www.homesteadnotes.com/catch-­water-­by-­slow-­flow-­swales/2/ 2.

Main Bioretention: http://www.ecologicalconcerns.com/san-­jose-­flea-­market-­north-­village-­mitigation/ 3.

Roundabout Bioretention: http://www.sfbetterstreets.org 4.

Detention Basin: http://www.uncubemagazine.com/blog/13323459 : 5.

Tree box filters: http://www.waterworld.com/articles/uwm/articles/print/volume-­4/issue-­4/features/tree-­filter-­systems-­for-­effective-­urban-­stormwater-­management-­.html 6.

Green Roof: http://prolandscapermagazine.com/first-­green-­roof-­level-­2-­3-­installation-­and-­maintenance-­diplomas-­launc hed/ 7.

Permeable Pavement: https://heymanvacations.wordpress.com/category/poland/

18

WATER RECYCLING California has been in a severe drought for the past few years, made worse by climate change; thus, it is important to diversify water supply in order to make cities more resilient. We propose the inclusion of on-site water reuse systems for a couple reasons: treatment can be tailored to its end use (e.g. non-potable uses do not require drinking water quality, resulting in less treatment demand), and having treatment close to its end use reduces infrastructure and transmission costs. In addition to harvesting rainwater, we can also look into recycling wastewater for non-potable water uses. Wastewater provides a larger and more reliable supply than rainwater and takes advantage of the short distances and economies of scale brought by high density development on this site.

One type of water recycling is greywater recycling. Greywater is wastewater from laundry, showers and bathroom faucets. It is less contaminated, and therefore easier to treat than blackwater, which is water from toilets and kitchen sinks. Greywater treatment can be sited in clusters where commercial and residential uses share a building or are located adjacent to each other. Residential areas supply greywater, but the supply is typically higher than its non-potable demand like toilet flushing; thus, the water left over can used in commercial buildings.

On-site blackwater currently faces numerous engineering, economic and regulatory barriers, but considerable work is being done to improve this, especially as California pushes to increase its alternative water supplies.

Compared to greywater, larger volumes of blackwater can be reused because of the large ratio of commercial to residential uses on this site. Energy can also be recovered from blackwater and be part of the renewable energy supply. Thus, in the earlier phases, greywater recycling systems should be constructed since it is less risky and easier to implement, but future expansion into blackwater recycling should be planned for, as economics, technologies and policies mature.

19

Symbiotic Land Use Clustering

Cluster with Greywater Reuse

SUPPLY Residential

DEMAND

Mixed-Use

Greywater Treatment

Potential Blackwater Treatment Location Image S ource: S outh E ast Queensland Healthy Waterways P artnership

20

ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN

II III

CCA IV

I II III IV

I. Energy efficient buildings and on-site clean energy generation The city can require buildings to meet a specific energy rating, similar to the LEED point-based format (LEED standards could be used for this purpose). Developers can meet these standards through any means they choose, including but not limited to rooftop solar installation and design techniques such as the use of daylighting, natural ventilation, insulation, and automated systems for temperature control.

II. Microgrid handles local load shifting A microgrid can help balance loads from intermittent renewable sources and maintain proper electricity distribution throughout the Berryessa ToD by receiving, storing, and redistributing electricity.

MICROGRID

I

Key Components of Energy Infrastructure

Energy efficient buildings and on-site renewable electricity generation Microgrid handles local load shifting Independent Power Provider agreement for off-site generation renewable electricity generation Community Choice Aggregator for direct and cleaner electricity procurement

III. Independent Power Provider agreement for off-site renewable electricity generation An independent power provider agreement can be made to connect wind generation and other off-site renewable technologies to Berryessa.* IV. Community Choice Aggregator for direct and cleaner electricity procurement A Community Choice Aggregator, or CCA, is an entity that circumvents electric utilities to directly purchase electricity from its generative source.** This offers a community more control over where their energy comes from, and increases the site’s renewables portfolio without compromising cost. The Berryessa TransitOriented Development is an ideal site through which to begin phasing in a CCA program that could benefit the broader city of San Jose.*** *See Google’s success with renewable energy power purchase agreements as a good example of this option at https://www.google.com/green/energy/use/#purchasing **See the Marin Clean Energy program as a thriving example of a CCA at https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/ ***See city council and mayor’s support of Community Energy Choice proposal at http://cleanpowerexchange.org/whats-new-with-community-choice-energy-in-san-jose/

21

OVERCOMING PROJECT CHALLENGES A development of this scale and unprecedented nature will inherently have its fair share of challenges that must be overcome. As mentioned before, the lack of context for high density mixed use development in the area makes a project of this sort both risky and pricey. And on the community side, the eventual displacement of flea market vendors from the site could result both in negative press and a loss of genuine character that will be hard to replace.

To address developer concerns of risk, we propose that development be phased and that retail/office space be designed to accommodate as wide a variety of potential future uses (e.g. offices, cafes, restaurants, maker spaces, residential units, etc‌) as possible. A phased development plan would ensure that the developer would not have to invest the full price of development upfront, and, if the early phases are successful, would give the developer more confidence in the feasibility of the project going forward. And the incorporation of flexible retail/office space would increase the pool of potential tenants, thereby increasing the likelihood that spaces will be occupied.

To mitigate the impacts of community displacement and imbue the new development with an organic personality, flea market vendors should be integrated into the future site in a few ways. First, vendors should be allowed to remain on the site during early phases of development. Second, we hope that some higher-end flea market vendors will be able to remain on the site permanently, becoming new tenants of retail space on the site. We also propose that the flea market be resurrected on occasion as part of the series of public events that will be taking place on the site. Finally, we strongly endorse the proposal to find a new home for the San Jose Flea Market at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, considering the important cultural and economic role the flea market has played for 56 years now.

While the adoption of these proposals does not mean that development will take place without any problems, we hope that their inclusion can enable the developer to feel confident in the feasibility of such a unique urban development.

22

PROJECT PHASES

Phase 1 (build plaza + flex space)

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

23

CONCLUSION The Berryessa Transit Urban Village development represents a unique opportunity to transform the face of San Jose and the tech industry in the South Bay into one that is more urban, vibrant, green, flexible and connected to the region at large. If this opportunity is met with a bold plan for a vibrant, urban, green, and flexible development, the potential benefits for the city, developer and communities of the Bay Area are massive. But if this development is approached in a more traditional manner, it will certainly fail to be a catalyst for change in the region and may even be unable to draw in the desired tenants, who need a more compelling reason to move into an area with no context for office tenancy and no distinct difference between residential development here versus elsewhere.

After reflecting on the work our team did, we ultimately propose that the site be designed in a way that is urban, intimate, flexible and green. In other words, the site should feature truly urban densities and a mix of uses, but should also include private, smaller-scale public spaces throughout the site to provide individuals and families respite from the eventual hustle and bustle of the main streets. The site should be flexible with respect to both public space and building typology, in order to provide amenities for anyone who would want to live, work or visit the site. And finally, the site should be pedestrian-and-bike friendly and feature green infrastructure in order to cater to those demanding more sustainable lifestyles and to save money on utilities. If these characteristics are achieved, and development is done in a cautious way that addresses potential obstacles, we believe this site will become an even more exciting and central hub of culture and industry hub than it currently is.

24

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project could not have been completed without the tremendous and dedicated support of so many people. It is thanks to their professional skillsets and nuanced understanding of the site that our proposal was able to be so comprehensive and cognizant of site context. In no particular order, we would like to thank: Tom Armstrong, of HMH Engineers; Erik Schoennauer, of the The Schoennauer Company; Ralph Borelli, of the Borelli Investment Company; John Tu, Michael Brilliot, Kimberly Vacca and Jared Hart, of San Jose’s Planning Department; Dehan (Danno) Glanz, lecturer in urban design at Stanford and consultant at Calthorpe Associates; Darcy Forsell, of the San Mateo Planning Division; and Sebastien Tilmans, of Stanford’s Codiga Resource Recovery Center. Finally, we would like to express special gratitude to the teaching staff of the Global Urban Development Program (Jim Leckie, Derek Ouyang, Sandy Robertson and Charlotte Stanton) for their tireless support and guidance. Without them, this work would quite literally not exist. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to undertake this exciting project! We hope that it can bring as much value to the development process as it did to our academic experience.