DESIGNING THE LANDSCAPE AS A CLASSROOM

`Habitat study areas' are based on the learning cluster setting

In an industry increasingly aware of the sensitive balance between man and his natural environment, a growing trend in landscape design is to minimize man's impacts on the earth while maximizing the aesthetic and educational potential a project affords.

For Edmonds School District's Seaview Elementary School and Meadowdale High School, Murase Associates' landscape architects have focused on design concepts which promote the outdoors as an educational environment.

In contrast to activities typically confined to the traditional classroom setting, the firm explored opportunities to merge recent trends in learning theory with the natural landscape features found at each school's site. The end result is an enhanced learning environment which encourages imagination, and hands-on experimentation.

The design solutions for each of these schools' existing landscapes showcase the natural environment in a wide variety of stimulating outdoor learning areas. Outside space is converted into an extension of the indoor classroom with "habitat study areas" based on the learning-cluster setting. Each of these outdoor study areas focuses on a predominant landscape feature and highlights the educational subjects associated with it. For the "water study area" at Seaview Elementary, the central learning tool is a stream created by the design team to allow students to learn about soil, water quality, native habitats, and hydrology.

The plans for Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood include a new botany greenhouse, which offers diverse experiences for students studying ecology, geology, and biology. The greenhouse will feature recycling activities, a medicinal herb garden, and native drought-tolerant plant study areas. Students will also learn about wetlands from the on-site biofiltration swales and water detention ponds, which will be used to treat the site's surface storm water and which will be marked with interpretive signage to describe the natural processes underway.

In addition to developing the Meadowdale landscape for natural science classes, Murase Associates has worked with the project architect, Integrus Architecture, to create spaces which encourage environmental awareness for students of art, music and literature. These areas serve as excellent backdrops for performing arts classes, visual arts classes and creative writing classes where students are encouraged to foster their creativity and appreciation of nature.

The consultant team has also shown its consideration for the needs of the community by developing multi-purpose common areas which will be available to the public. The objectives behind these designs are mutually beneficial to the community and the school district. If local organizations and the general community enjoy regular use of these grounds, they are more likely to take an active role in the maintenance of the sites and buildings.

Common vision and effective communication between the landscape architects and the architects have been critical to the success of these projects. Mark Johnson of Bassetti Architects explains that, "the success of these designs for Seaview has required a considerable amount of focus on the school's landscape. The landscape, itself, is an outstanding feature of this project." Johnson identifies the landscape architect's role as critical for the design and development of this new breed of educational facilities.

Currently, Murase Associates is using this design approach at projects such as Bellingham High School with Integrus Architects and the Seattle Preparatory School with Mahlum Nordfors McKinley Gordon. With the success of the Edmonds schools serving as a model, there is good reason to believe that other Puget Sound school districts will soon follow suit.

Return to Landscape Architecture & Construction top page