Nature Playground
at City Garden Montessori School
Nothing is as well-used as a turf mound in the center of the play area
Unconventional play structures and materials allow for free play and creative expression
The play area is anchored by an outdoor structure designed by UIC and executed in a warm wood
Biodetention near the building entry provides shade and texture
Respect all the reasonable forms of activity in which the child engages and try to understand them.
Collaborators
City Garden Montessori School
School Parent Playground Committee
UIC
Project Facts
Size:
0.5 acre
Completion:
2015
Facts:
175 students
Kindergarten through 8th Grade
Open to the public off-hours
[dtls] collaborated with the school’s parent playground committee for over a year, working to develop a program, schematic site plan, budget and phasing strategy for an engaging playground design that would conform to the Montessori goals of education and play in an outdoor environment. Providing areas for active play for the school’s broad range of students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade, the playground design also provides quiet study spaces, outdoor classrooms and garden planting areas. The use of native and edible plants reinforces the connection to place.
The schematic playground plan acts as a guide for the ongoing planning and phased implementation of the playground design by the school and parent volunteers.
The Details
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