About Stanford University

Stanford University, located in California’s Silicon Valley, was founded in 1885, “to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization.” Just a year later in 1886, at the request of California Governor and founder Leland Stanford, Frederick Law Olmsted began planning the physical campus. 

Although Stanford had commissioned Olmsted to create the design, their relationship was contentious. The university founder would prove to be a strong-minded collaborator, following his vision of a flat campus and dismissing Olmsted’s initial plan of placing the buildings in the foothills of the city, overlooking San Francisco. From selecting the site to the orientation and form, Stanford was involved in every major decision. The result was a campus master plan of extraordinary ambition with a built-in negotiation between industry and nature. 

Olmsted’s plan included a ceremonial entry to the campus from the railroad and a series of quadrangles that could expand east/west surrounded by housing, all set in a ‘woods’ connecting to the foothills beyond. Plants were to be appropriate for the semi-arid climate and limited water resources of California, favoring natural beauty and color over annuals and decoration. Throughout the process Olmsted stayed committed to designing a sustainable campus, including native and drought resistant trees that are likely to endure the dry climate without excessive watering. 

These principles are fundamental to today’s campus landscape.