Gustavus School

Gustavus School is a K-12 school that services the small town of Gustavus. We inspected existing play equipment and developed programming and master planning for school ground improvements for this rural school in a town that isn’t accessible by road. A series of public design workshops were held with the teachers and children to assist in designing and selecting play elements for their playground, verified the need for traditional play equipment, and included nature and adventure play. A two-phased master plan for the school grounds was developed to respond to available funding. The plan incorporated the steep slopes around the school and a grove of trees into the design to create an accessible play environment that included: climbers, swings, a tunnel, zip-line, climbing wall, at grade slide, a fire pit, treehouse, outdoor classroom, and an elevated tree walk surrounding by a rich educational landscape. The first phase was designed and installed and has become a focal point for the community.

Location: Gustavus

Client: Chatham School District

Components: Landscape Design, Master Planning, Playground Design, Public Engagement