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| Completion Date: | 2005 | ||
| Location: | Denver | ||
| Awards: | 2006 CCASLA Design Merit Award | ||
| Description: |
Since 2002, Design Concepts has been involved with the planning, design and construction of 13 Denver Public Schools Learning Landscape playgrounds. These projects, unique among all schools in the state, renovate elementary playgrounds into innovative play and learning spaces. Existing pea gravel fields and outdated play equipment are replaced with age-appropriate play equipment, sodded play fields, colorful asphalt play games, outdoor classrooms and gathering spaces, and more.
The projects are designed in collaboration with University of Colorado-Denver graduate landscape architecture students and instructor Lois Brink. Also closely involved are school staff and neighborhood groups to create a unigue aesthetic theme for each playground reflective of their curriculum and community. The sites have one-of-a-kind features and include art by both local artists and the students. For example, Whiteman has a nature and ecology theme. The theme is seen throughout the site in animal footprints pressed into the concrete walks, the four square games that have icons and names of leaves, seasons, and rocks to differentiate each of the squares, and an artist designed and fabricated butterfly bench. When students sit on the bench which is located in the butterfly garden, they look as if they have sprouted wings and attenae. Even the shade shelter has three giant leaves that create the roof canopy. Edison has a new Shakespeare performance amphitheater, Carson a fibonnaci series inspired outdoor classroom, Southmoor bilingually labeled site elements, and Mitchell a human sundial. Design Concepts has also worked on Remington, Castro, Columbine, Kaiser, Knapp, Traylor, McMeen and Ellis. The Learning Landscape projects continue to include a volunteer build day in which students, teachers, parents, DPS staff and the Landscape Architects gather to lay sod and plant trees. ItÃs a day that transforms the look of the site for the better in just a few hours and everyone gains appreciation for the investment being made into the school and the community. The projects typically have an aggressive design and construction document schedule that undergoes review by a large design review group. Please view our brochure below under Additional Information (Note: the PDF file is intended to be printed double sided on 11x17 and folded in half) |
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| Additional Information: |
Learning landscapes Brochure |
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