Old Town Academy

Old Town Academy is a K-8 charter school focused on project-based learning and was very passionate about integrating their teaching and curriculum into their outdoor environments surrounding their urban campus. We worked with OTA on two projects on their campus. Studio Nectary’s role (while a contracted designer and project manager for Rooted In Place) was as designer and project manager.

The first project was the kindergarten yard. With input from a facilitated site safari, 25 kindergarteners provided their ideas for what they thought the upcoming classes would enjoy in the yard. With additional input from staff and teachers we created a plan that added pops of color and created defined spaces for active and passive play and learning. The main elements were constructed and painted by artist Rob Tobin, but through a community workday, parents and students lent a hand in painting the picnic tables, that would have a dual purpose as work tables and lunch tables, while parents were hard at work assembling the shed and installing the climbing wall.

The second project was a community build with the 3rd graders, teachers, and parent volunteers to build a butterfly waystation in the main courtyard and entry of the school. Butterfly attracting plants were planted in the central courtyard planter and along the main entry of the school. A mural, by Kline Swonger was painted in the courtyard to showcase the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Additionally, bug hotels were constructed from salvaged wood and various earthen materials and placed amongst the new plants to draw in observers. Lastly, a mobile of wood painted butterflies was across the courtyard centered over the main planter, painted by the students, and hung to flutter in the breeze.

COLLABORATORS:

Old Town Academy – Client
Old Town Academy Foundation – Client
Rooted In Place Landscape Architecture and Consulting – Facilitator
Kline Swonger – Artist Lead
Rob Tobin – Artist Lead