Abstract:

Located in Treasure Island, California, the Sailing Center begins with a question: how can the edge between land and the San Francisco Bay become more than a hard, urban line? Instead of reinforcing the existing shoreline, the project replaces it with a restored marsh that filters water, creates habitat, and softens the transition between city and sea.

The proposal emerged alongside plans for a new marina, which require dredging sediment from the Bay. Rather than treating this material as waste and sending it through the Golden Gate, the project reuses it on site. The dredged sediment becomes the ground for the new marsh, forming a living edge between land and water.

This marsh plays a central role in the project. Ecologically, it supports ecoremediation by improving water quality and increasing biodiversity. Socially and pedagogically, it extends the mission of the Sailing Center. Designed as an outdoor classroom, it allows children and visitors to observe tides, birds, and marine life up close, linking the experience of sailing to a direct understanding of the Bay’s ecosystem and the responsibility of caring for it.

In this way, the Sailing Center becomes more than a sports facility. It brings together recreation, education, and ecological restoration, while creating new public spaces open to both Sailing Center users and the broader Treasure Island community.