Independence Nature Play

The Independence School is a private K-8 school in New Castle County, Delaware. Its deep and abiding commitment to cultivating self-motivated, curious students is expressed no less in the design of its classrooms and educational spaces than through the scope and sequence of its thoughtfully structured curriculum. This new outdoor learning space incorporate “nature play” for younger students and programmed spaces for environmental education for older students and teens. Outdoor teaching spaces include flexible classrooms for art education, a greenhouse laboratory and an outdoor maker-space. This diverse collection of landscapes and garden rooms is experienced along a unifying path circuit and linked with sculptural topography including an ephemeral stream bed and tumble mounds, reminiscent of dunes. A large open lawn space is situated prominently and provides a central gathering space where the whole school can assemble in one space for important events.

2022 Maryland Chapter ASLA Awards I Institutional Design