March 4, 2004

GPD Land Design, LLC

41 Covington Court

Englewood, CO 80113

O A K L A N D

C A M P U S M A S T E R P L A N

E L E M E N T A R Y S C H O O L

Table Of Contents

School Philosophy................................................................... 1.1Project Description.................................................................. 1.1Location and Background....................................................... 1.1Student and Faculty Input........................................................ 1.3

Site Inventory and General Adequacy..................................... 2.1

Conceptual Plan...................................................................... 3.1Goals and Their Program Elements........................................ 3.1

Phasing and Budget................................................................ 4.1

Appendices

A - Master Plan DrawingB - Site Inventory and Playground

Safety Site AssessmentC - Example Faculty Survey D - DPS Playground StandardsE - References

TOC.i

Introduction

Existing Site

Implementation

New Design

School Philosophy Oakland Elementary is a large urban school in a suburban-feel neighborhood. With over600 students, this school aspires to meet the demands of each student within the largestudent body. Oakland participates in the DPS Literacy Program, was one of the twelveelementary schools in the the Pay-For-Performance pilot program, and describes itselfas “actively engaged and committed to staff development in literacy and utilizing theexpertise of literacy specialist and building coaches so to meet the demanding needs ofour students”.

Students participate in the DPS Literacy Program, which emphasizes reading and writingthrough daily 3-hour learning blocks. Assisted by literacy coaches, the program fostersboth skill in and appreciation for reading and writing. The program covers spelling,grammar, syntax, and genre-recognition among other skills. Overall, the program helpsstudents to identify themselves as readers. Oakland describes the larger goal of thisprocess: “This is to prepare our students for the next level by exposing them to the bestpractices of instructional strategies. These strategies continue to meet the goals ofDenver Public Schools and the State of Colorado”.

Project DescriptionDenver Public Schools has commissioned this Master Plan to provide a comprehensivedesign for the campus grounds. The Master Plan consists both of this document as wellas a rendered Master Plan Drawing, found on page 3.3 and in Appendix A. This planprovides a cohesive design framework such that site improvements may be phased in alogical and economical manner. In addition, it provides a cohesive vision for the wholesite.

Location andBackgroundOakland Elementary school,located as shown at right, wasdedicated in 1984. Prior to itsopening, new housing anddevelopment in northeastDenver had the existing schoolsoperating at full capacity. Infact, the original Oakland schoolwas a converted office buildingleased by the district. Itsremote location, lack of realclassroom space, and the losinginvestment inherent in leasingconvinced the district to consid-er an alternative. A 9.1 acresite at 46th Avenue andDearborn was slated for the newhome of Oakland Elementary.

1.1

Oakland Elementary School4580 Dearborn St. Denver, CO 80239 Phone: (303) 371-2960 [Fax: (303) 764-7833]

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The Montbello neighborhood,shown at right, is bordered byEast 56th Avenue, ChambersRoad, Peoria Street, and 1-70. The average householdincome at 95% of the Denveraverage. The Montbelloneighborhood has a markedlylower crime rate than theDenver average (63%).

Montbello residents are pre-dominantly African Americanand Latino. The followingcompares ethnic compositionat Oakland Elementary to the surrounding MontbelloNeighborhood and to Denver as a whole:

Oakland Montbello DenverLatino 49.4 36.6 31.7African American 38.6 44.5 10.8Non-Latino White 5.7 12.6 51.9Asian/Pacific Islander 5.5 2.8 2.8Native American 0.8 0.4 0.7

Among Oakland’s student population, 80.5% qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch-es, 28.0% are English Language Learners, and 26.9% are native Spanish speakers.Attendance is high at 94.6% with a total suspension rate of 5.1%.

Oakland’s Colorado School Assessment Program (CSAP) percent proficient/advanced in3rd, 4th, and 5th grade reading, writing, and math are below the DPS averages in allcases. Oakland’s students scoring in CSAP’s “Proficient and Advanced” category for theyear 2003 compare to those from all of DPS and statewide as follows:

Oakland DPS ColoradoGrade 3 Reading 50% 55% 74%Grade 3 Writing 35% 37% 57%Grade 4 Reading 34% 37% 63%Grade 4 Writing 29% 31% 52%Grade 5 Reading 32% 41% 66%Grade 5 Writing 26% 31% 53%Grade 5 Math 14% 30% 56%

The majority of Oakland’s faculty (42.4%) averages less than 3 years experience. Thenext largest group (30.3%) has more than 11 years experience. The remaining staff(27.3%) has 4-10 years experience. More than a third of the teaching staff (35.5%) hasmasters degrees.

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Source: Piton Foundation.

Student and Faculty InputFacultyOakland staff members and principal attended a master planning presentation given byGPD Land Design. Staff members were interested and enthusiastic about redesign ofthe campus. The faculty expressed the school's wishes to retain their Rockies Field andto be certain to separate play spaces for the various age groups inherent in elementaryschool. The school expressed hope for additional parking and re-configuration of thefront entrance to facilitate pick-up and drop-off. Lastly, they expressed interest in a mar-quee at the front intersection of the school for posting information.

Faculty input was also sought via written survey, an example of which is included inAppendix C. Among the survey items, highest interest was shown in traditional playstructures like swings and composite structures, the turf play field, basketball, trees,asphalt games, and a shade structure. Secondary interest was shown in less traditional,more park-like elements like quiet spaces, planting beds, classroom gardens, outdoorclassroom, and banner poles. Least interest was shown in non-traditional and artisticelements like boulders and sculpture. Results are summarized as follows:

Faculty Ranking OverallHigh Medium Low Rank

Play Structure 21 0 0 2Swings 22 1 0 1Basketball 19 2 1 4Tetherball 15 4 2 7Blacktop Games 17 2 1 6Trees 18 3 1 5Quiet Spaces 12 9 2 9Planting Beds for Classroom Gardens 10 9 5 10(t)Outdoor Classroom 10 11 2 10(t)Grass/Turf Playing Field 20 2 1 3Shade Structure 13 8 1 8Stage/Performance Area 3 11 6 13(t)Butterfly/Bird Garden (Habitat) 5 12 5 12(t)Game/Chess Tables 6 10 4 11Picnic Tables/Benches 13 8 5 8Boulders 12 9 9 13(t)Sculpture/Sculpture Podium 1 11 9 15(t)Banner Poles 2 7 12 14Other Large Banners 1 7 12 15(t)Murals 5 7 5 12(t)

Write-in portions of the surveys expressed strong desires for separation of age groups onthe playground, especially for the early childhood education (ECE) students. The sur-veys expressed the desire for reinforcing social skills, neighborhood, community, and lifecycles. Additionally, wishes for sand, volleyball, bulb gardens, and seating wereexpressed. The strong underlying goal was for the playground to provide many types ofspaces, allowing kids of all ages to play simultaneously and peacefully.

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StudentsTo solicit interest and input from the studentbody, GPD conducted workshops with DonnaMiddleton’s Grade 2 and Candice Reese’sGrade 4 classes. The workshop discussed theconcept of landscape architecture as the designof outdoor spaces like the school playground.Discussion included creation of space utilizingoutdoor elements like plant materials, hard sur-faces, trees, rocks, and structures as opposedto the walls and ceilings used to create indoorspaces. The workshop included a drawingexercise in which the students created play-grounds, incorporating imagined spaces andelements. The cover and page borders of thisdocument are from the student work (individualstudents are credited in the References,Appendix E).

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Student Workshops. Photo December 2003.

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Site Inventory and General AdequacyOakland Elementary occupies approximately 9.4 acres at 46th Avenue and Dearborn.The building occupies 1.74 acres; the parking requires 0.36 acres; walks, drive lanes,and site drainage occupy 2.8 acres; and the remaining 4.5 acres are reserved for out-door play and education. Existing areas and surfacing are shown on the DPS Site Planon page 2.2.

AmbienceThe front of the school is set back quite far from the street. Adjacent to the street, thereis a large drainage area of grass and trees that softens the building entrance from thestreet perspective. In contrast, the wide drive lane and parking lot immediately between

this drainage area and the frontentrance give a “sea of asphalt” effect.The vast height of the entrances (frontand back), the drive lane, and theimmense concrete walk lend the schoolan impersonal, oversized feeling.Combined with the lack of plant materi-als, the overall effect is severe, espe-cially for the pedestrian.

In contrast, the grassy field and trees atthe rear of the school provide a park-likeambience. Nevertheless, the immensescale of the field disconnects it from thebuilding and the asphalt play area, espe-cially at the far end. The asphalt playarea is aged and devoid of creativeinterest and opportunity.

All in all, the grounds would benefit fromdivision into smaller spaces to reducethe sense of scale and make play morecomfortable, especially for children.

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Front entrance. Photo October 2003.

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Front drive lane and parking lot. Photo October 2003.

Rear entrance. Photo October 2003.

2.2

DPS Site Plan.

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AccessibilityBuilding access is adequate and the entirety of the asphalt area is wheelchair accessiblefrom the building. However, the playground is lacking ready access from outside. Thelone gate is near the basketball courts which are quite far removed from the main playarea. Once inside the playground, neither the component play equipment nor the swingsis accessible due to the use of squeegee as safety surfacing. In addition, the westernplay area is completely enclosed by a low stem wall. In summary, the playground is notreadily accessible and has few activities for people with physical challenges. DPSPlayground Standards, outlining accessibility guidelines, are included in Appendix D.

Asphalt - Play AreaThe asphalt surface (13,500 sf main area, 9,600 sf at basketball) combines with thesqueegee play areas surround the play equipment (7,600 sf) combine to create 30,700 sfof hardscape play area. The asphalt areas contain two full sized basketball courts, onehalf-sized basketball court, and four tetherball courts. Basketball is located on the west-ern side of the site near Dearborn, facilitating community use during off hours. However,this location is somewhat too far south of the main playground, creating a supervisoryproblem. Basketball and additional painted games, including hopscotch, more tetherball,wavy hopscotch, and foursquare, will be located near the building for ease of use.

Asphalt - Ball Court AreaThe existing basketballgoals are the preferredgooseneck style and canbe re-used in the new play-ground. The current loca-tion is disadvantageous forsupervision during schoolbut advantageous for off-hours community use. Tomitigate the former, thecourts will be split up, locat-ing four goals nearDearborn and placing ahalf-court game within theprimary play area of themain asphalt playground.

Oakland basketball goals. Photo December 2003.

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Western play area. Photo December 2003.

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DrainageThe site appears free from drainage problems. The asphalt andthe grass field drain into an east/west swale that bisects the turffield. The run-off flows beneath the sidewalk and across thedrive lane, ultimately draining into the inlet at the intersection ofDearborn and 46th. Hardscape sinkage beneath the planterweep holes outlets is one minor drainageproblem. The other potential problem isthe rear awning downspout which current-ly drains into the planter.

FencingThe fencing is in good condition and doesnot appear to be excessive. Fencingadjacent to the swings is unsightly andwould be mitigated by better, moreperipheral locations for the swings.

Plant MaterialsThere are ten mature trees within the playground, six in the two large planters and fouralong the asphalt’s south edge. The planters also contain an overgrown juniper mass.In addition, there are approximately 3.4 acres of grass within the fenced play area.

The trees and shrubs are generally healthy, especially if pruned. The parking lot hassome shrubbery bordering its edge, but is devoid of shade trees. The two large plantersabutting the building’s south inset create unusable spaces; they are too high for the stu-dents to occupy. Their excessive height has prompted a no-use policy at the school topreclude falls. In addition, the plant materials contained here are monocultural, over-grown, and neglected. The planters will be modified to house useful gardens of variedplant materials enclosing peaceful,occupiable spaces.

The playground would benefit fromadditional shade trees to mitigate thesouthern exposed and windowed hall-way. In addition, the large size of theplay space merits additional shadedareas to better distribute usersthroughout the playground, providingboth cool shade and quiet respite. Inaddition, the parking lot and frontentrance merit additional trees to pro-vide shade and to soften the building’sfacade.

The site is devoid of gardens or anyflowering plant materials. The additionof garden plants would provide habitat,sensory experience, and learningopportunities. Mature tree. Photo October 2003.

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Weep hole & swing fencing. Photos December 2003.

2.5

Playground EquipmentPlayground equipment includes swings, ladder/bar climbers, cargo net, and ringers. Theswings, slide, ringers, and cargo net do not meet current standards for safety. None ofthe play equipment is accessible to disabled persons because the safety surfacing issqueegee. Excluding the ladder/bar climbers, none of these pieces may be relocated forcontinued use; they must be replaced with updated equipment.

In addition to poor safety, the quantity of existing play equipment seems inadequate forthe 600 children attending the school.The Site Inventory (Appendix B) indi-cates that the site can accommodate149 children simultaneously; however,this assumes that only 85 children areusing play equipment while the remain-ing 64 children play basketball, base-ball, and volleyball. The short durationand limited supervision during recessseem to preclude this as a real option.Additional play equipment is warranted.

SwingsThe swings are generally in good con-dition. Seventeen of the possible eight-een swings are functional. However, these swings are of the outdated three swings perbay style, failing to meet the current limit of two per bay. Additionally, the safety zone forthese swings fails current standards which require a fall zone of four times the height ofthe cross bar. The adjacent four foot fencing narrows the space and contributes to dan-gerous traffic on and around the swings. Children can be caught against this fence andbe vulnerable to impact from swing users.

Travel RingsTravel rings are not allowed by current playground safety standards. The rings atOakland have “spider web” centers which block the v-shaped openings at the center andimprove safety. The redesign will consider the popularity of this element and retain thesein situ as possible based upon the new layout; however, travel rings will not be re-installed or relocated.

Chain Net ClimberThis is a hot and dangerous structure that faces south and north. Non-coated metal andloose linkage create the perfect finger-trap. In addition, the chain openings can be anentrapment hazard. This type of climber fails current safety standards for new play equip-ment. This piece is the most unsafe of the existing play equipment on the site.

Climbing BarsThese pieces are in good shape and are quite sturdy. However, un-coated metal struc-tures absorb the heat in warmer months. These pieces have a variety of angles andsteps, making them interactive and enjoyable. Although new component equipment hasmany of the same elements in terms of ladders/upper body development, DPS mightdesire to retain and re-install these elements to add to the overall variety and capacity ofthe new playground.

Existing chain net climber. Photo October 2003.

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SlideThe one spiral slide on site is inadequate in its capacity and design. The heat-absorbingmetal surface is not desirable. In addition, the gap between the handrail and slideappears to fall within the 4-7 inch entrapment size. This piece should be replaced.

Playing FieldThis 3.4 acre (148,000 sf) play field is very large, incorporat-ing the Eric Young Rockies Field. The grass suffered fromthe drought in summer 2003. Barricades placed to inhibitfield use remained in place as of October 2003. The fieldmay recuperate from the drought given proper remediationincluding early spring split-seeding, spring aeration, and reg-ular fertilization and watering. Another season of drought,however, will likely result in future re-sodding. Playgrounddesign will not encroach upon the Rockies elementary base-ball field.

The Rockies field includes one baseball backstop which is well-positioned for communityuse. However, the backstop is quite far from the building and the asphalt play area.Additional backstop(s) closer in would be more readily supervised and useable. In addi-tion, many of the student’s surveyed would like soccer goals to be installed.

SeatingThere are a series of low walls on this site which offer seating. However, the school hasdesignated them off-limits because the children climb them and jump from them. At threefeet, the walls present a nuisance for this type of use. Therefore, low seat walls, stadi-um seating, benches, and tables would be a welcome addition. Seating should be addedthroughout the site adjacent to both active, noisy play and in quiet, calm areas. Thislarge site merits extensive seating both for the students and for the community users.

SafetyThe Safety Assessment, completed on October 9, 2003, is included as Appendix B. Themajor issues result from the old and now inadequate play equipment. Most of the equip-ment fails current playground and accessibility standards. Likewise, the pea gravel safetysurfacing in place at Oakland fails accessibility guidelines. Within the PlaygroundStandards for Design and Construction in Appendix D, DPS specifies the use of engi-neered wood fiber (EWF) for its better impact absorption and accessibility. The schoolhas a large student body, 100-150 of whom occupy the playground simultaneously. Thesite does not adequately accommodate this many students at once.

ShadeThere are three shaded areas on the playground. Each area of play equipment has twomature shade trees and the planters abutting the building also contain several trees.Those in the planters are not useful for shade because the students cannot occupy theelevated planters. More shade is desirable, both from trees and from a shade structure,particularly given the southern exposure and large size of this playground.

Soft SurfacingThere are about 13,630 square feet of squeegee dedicated to the two play areas. Thedepth of the squeegee depth is unknown. In addition, although squeegee is an accept-

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Photo October 2003.

2.7

able safety surface, it does not meet the current DPS playground standards. New playpits will contain engineered wood fiber.

In addition to engineered wood fiber, cedar bark mulch within the gardens will help keepthe site cooler, provide interest, soften the hardscape appearance, and improve overallaesthetics.

Surrounding UsesThe site is bounded on all sides by residential housing.

Vehicular Access and ParkingThe existing 47 parking spaces fails to meet the DPS minimum standard of 54 spacesfor elementary schools [Formula: 1/classroom +(0.5/ECE-3 classroom) + 20; Oakland:26+(0.5*16)+20]. Three of the 47 spaces are for handicapped use. In addition, the park-ing lot striping is extremely narrow. The redesign widens the lot, adds as many spacesas possible, and provides more shade.

Vehicular access is problematic. Although there is a generous drive lane, conflictbetween cars and buses has caused the school to implement a “no cars” approach dur-ing pick-up and drop-off. As a result, the large drive lane is used by four buses andthose cars that violate the drive lane prohibition by entering through the staff parking lot.The redesign will separate bus and car pick-up, making safer, more effective use of thedrive lane.

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Conceptual PlanMontebello, located in east Denver, feels flatter and more exposed than does Denver tothe west. One can easily imagine the expansive and windy shortgrass prairie that exist-ed here, now replaced with strongly repetitive suburban style housing. Oakland’s large,irregular site interrupts the flow of housing much like a jetty disrupting sea currents. Ajetty controls and balancesadditive and subtractiveaction, transforming spacethrough erosion and deposi-tion. The landscape designtakes inspiration fromSmithson’s The Spiral Jetty,an earth sculpture in theGreat Salt Lake.

Like a jetty, the school land-scape seeks to demonstratethis plus/minus relationship.The whole site and individ-ual parts of the playgroundbecome the protectedareas, buffered and givinghaven. Vertical and horizontal landscape elements speak to the causes and effects ofinterrupting flow, encouraging playground users to experience this on a visceral level.

The idea of a visceral, or experiential site experience permeates the design. Elements ofthe playground reinforce classroom lessons (reading in particular) while allowing the stu-dents to encounter the concepts in a non-didactic, experiential way. Likewise, art ele-ments are closely and inherently woven into the design to transform them from viewedobjects to integral components of the place, part of the experience.

Overall, the design of the playground stimulates play as well as catalyzes learning in thelandscape; both are afforded through traditional play equipment and non-traditional, plu-ralistic elements. Inclusion of outdoor learning activities encourages observation andcreative thinking. The design seeks to accommodate differences in gender, learningstyle, and personality through variation in types and sizes of spaces. The design strivesto include art, culture, science, and math within a hands-on outdoor environment.

Goals and Their Program ElementsThe conceptual plan and program elements combine to fulfill the following goals:

1. Create a campus imbued with learning and art elements; 2. Create a park-like focal point for the community;3. Separate play areas by age group and improve circulation; 4. Unify the large site.

Goals and their program elements follow within the text. The rendered Master Plan draw-ing follows on page 3.2 and in Appendix A.

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Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson. Photo Robert Smithson/James CohanGallery. http://www.robertsmithson.com/earthworks/spiral_jetty.htm

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3.3

Goal 1. Create a Campus Imbued with Learning and Art Elements

Learning Elements

Boulder AreaHeavy, immovable boulders are set low to the ground, providing seating and climbing.The boulders provide material for study of geology, condensation, heat retention, mass,and density. The boulders are set far enough apart to meet DPS safety standards.

ECE SymbolsLetters and symbols are included within the ECE space. The alphabet and numbers areincluded as imbeds within the concrete or as part of a wall mural. Patterns and repetitionare included as series of asphalt paint elements or within specialty fencing.

Game TablesGame tables, topped with checker boards,allow for chess and checkers as well as offer-ing quiet seating for reading. Often a highlyactive, noisy place, a playground also needsthese elements for quiet and solitude. Thetables would themselves also be art elements,likely including painted tile.

Math ElementsMath SpiralThis element, located within the brick paving,demonstrates mathematical principles andproblem solving. The spiral is a game of mathproblems that uses both written numbers andobjects. The game demonstrates addition, sub-traction, multiplication, or division through play.

FractionsTetherball circles and four-square courts are subdivided to show fractions. For example,one-half is demonstrated by painting two four-square squares blue while each of theother two remain blank.

Meeting HalfwayThis area of this site helps to resolve conflict. Set somewhat aside for privacy, this spaceincludes a series of steps that lead children through conflict resolution. This space isdesigned to allow resolution of simple conflicts between children, providing a model forpeaceful negotiation of conflict in the larger world.

Garden - ButterflyGardens abound with learning opportunities. Scientific ideas include biology of plants,life cycles of insects, solar aspect, microclimates, and water use. Garden experimentsmay also be used to present mathematics concepts like measuring ratios (compost tosoil or plants to area), measuring growth rates, and charting growth rates. The bird andbutterfly garden shows how multiple species of plants with like needs co-exist and sup-port another kingdom. The space would include good host species for caterpillars, nec-

Game Table at Crofton Elementary. Photo July 2003.

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tar flower species forbutterflies, and materi-als for habitat improve-ment.

Butterfly garden plantsare typically xeric, rel-ishing sunny spaceslike the southwesternexposure of the intend-ed location. In addi-tion, the ramp withinthe garden providesaccess for both ablebodied and physicallychallenged users.Boulders within thespace provide seatingand small pools ofwater for the fauna.

Typical plants include butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), lantana (Lantana camara),butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), bee balm (Monarda didyma), common cosmos (Cosmosbipinnatus), black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and purple coneflower (Echinacea pur-purea). Further information is available at the Web site: http://www.gardens.si.edu/

Garden - BulbLike the butterfly garden, a bulbgarden provides ample learningopportunities through control ofplant culture. In addition, thesoutheastern exposure with strongmorning sun is wonderfully sitedfor bulb growth. A vertical group-ing of shrubs against the buildingwill help to provide some privacy to thegarden and provide some insulation for the building.

ReadingReading is a curricular element meriting strong reinforcement within the playground. Asa participant in the Elementary Literacy Program, Oakland’s site will reinforce the beautyof reading. Art elements, quiet spaces, words and symbols, and inclusion of multiplelanguages, are a few examples.

Butterfly garden. Photo GPD Land Design.

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“‘How could this perfect, beautiful flower come from that lit-tle bulb?’ one student remarked in amazement. Studentsbecame gentle caretakers, and even offered to "babysit" forone another's bulbs. Students shared their bulbs with theschool office where they reportedly delighted staff and visi-tors for months.”

Eve Pranis, Turn on Learning with Bulbs

Butterfly Metamorphosis Photos. http://www.milkweedcafe.com/photos.html

Art Elements

Banner PolesBanners will strategically accent the site for the displayof art from both the students and the larger community.Each banner pole holds two 2'x3' banners that can beeasily changed. The banners can be changed to reflectcurrent events at the school or the art of individualgrades or classes. The banners themselves are aninexpensive and mutable way to include student art inthe playground.

Garden - SculptureSculptures will be commissioned to speak about peaceand inspiration. The sculptures are sited in the gardensand/or within the wooded knoll. The ultimate design andtopic is left to the commissioned artist with input from theschool community and design team.

MuralsThe large wall of the building near ECE is designated fora mural or murals. The murals might be painted directlyonto the building or attached to it. The school has expressed that the art depict “differentkinds of children playing together”. The ultimate expression is left to the commissionedartist with inputfrom the schoolcommunity anddesign team.However, the artistwould be asked towork with studentsto conceive, create,and install thepieces.

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Attached mural by Michael Gadlin at Smith Elementary.Photo September 2002.

World Child sculpture at FairmontElementary. Photo November 2002.

Stage mural by Chris Olson at Smith Elementary.Photo September 2002.

Goal 2. Create a Park-Like Focal Point for the Community

AccessibilityThe new design provides easy access to the playground from the outdoors, bringing thegateway farther north. (Formerly, the gate was too far from the playground for easyaccess.) Together, the engineered wood fiber play pit surfacing and the asphalt provideaccess to all painted games and play equipment. In addition, the butterfly gardenincludes an accessible pathway. Each game table has two open sides to allow forwheelchair access.

BasketballCommunity use of the playground includes basketball. The redesign includes half-courtbasketball, full court basketball, and extra goals positioned on both. The full-court gameis positioned adjacent to theparking lot, convenient for com-munity use.

Pedestrian GatewayThis main gateway providespedestrian entry on the west sideof the playground. This formalgateway structure is a welcomingentry for parents, students, andneighbors. It also focuses circu-lation into the playground southfrom the main entrance.

School Sign With MarqueeBecause the building is set backfar from the street, the building-mounted signage is ineffectivefor community messaging. Theschool would like a new sign witha marquee at the intersection of46th and Dearborn. The sign’sdesign will allow the school tobetter identify itself within theneighborhood and to communi-cate effectively with its con-stituent groups.

SeatingBenches, tables, and boulders will be sited throughout providing space for quiet, semi-active, and active activities. Care will be taken to design for cold weather, hot weather,group activities, supervision of children, and outdoor class gathering.

Shade StructureThe shade structure provides a central place for supervision of the entire play area. Italso provides a quieter space to be near active play without being directly involved.Game tables will be sited beneath the structure, providing quiet play and picnic seating.

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Gateway at Crofton Elementary. Photo July 2003.

TreesTo witness growth and the changing of the seasons is a learning experience. Trees arethe quintessential natives to any good park or playground, contributing to a softer, green-er site. Where possible, existing trees will be protected and retained. Additional treesprovide shady nodes throughout for users to play and rest over a wide area of the site,minimizing congestion. Likewise, shady areas adjacent to play areas provide opportuni-ties for parents and families to enjoy the site while supervising their children's play. Anew allee of trees to the building’s south provide shade for the windowed hall of thebuilding. The wooded knoll at the center of the playground provides a large shaded areacomplete with a central brick plaza, benches, and boulders. This area will be moundedup about one foot creating a central, quiet, and shady supervision area. Trees added tothe front of the building and parking lot soften the entry and add vertical interest.

Turf Play FieldNo park is complete with grass. The existing irrigated turf field provides a green, expan-sive, open space for activities like field day, assembly, graduation, and school perform-ances. In addition, the turf field provides space for organized team sports or simply torun, tumble, and play. Turf helps to create a cooler microclimate for this playground'ssouthern aspect and to mitigate pollution from asphalt’s storm water run-off. The field isreduced slightly for additional asphalt space; however, it retains enough space for elevenversus eleven soccer. The Eric Young Rockies field is left intact.

Goal 3. Separate Play Areas By Age Group and Improve Circulation

Asphalt HardscapeAsphalt is a must for a playground, providing play space in wet weather and withstandingthe use by 600 children. The new design increases the current asphalt square footageby 60%. In addition, the area is organ-ized differently to accommodate playequipment and traditional asphalt playfeatures including tetherball, basket-ball, hopscotch, wavy hopscotch, mathgames, and foursquare.

Building EntrancesFront EntranceThe oversized front entrance does notspeak to human scale. The expansivehardscape and the dearth of plantmaterials exacerbate this impression.The new design seeks to reduce thescale of the entire entry sequence.The front walk that parallels the driveis narrowed to five feet. A new brickcrosswalk bisects the drive lane per-pendicular to the front doors. The nar-rower concrete entry walk into the building and an awning above the doors providehuman scale. New trees provide shade, soften the facade, and add vertical interest.Two new benches provide shaded and welcoming spaces for waiting.

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Front entrance. Photo October 2003.

Rear EntranceThe awning is architecturally unrelatedto the windows and has one columnburied in a planter. Additionally, thescale is overly large with undersizedcolumns. The awning will be replacedand/or supplemented to improve theentry’s scale and relationship to sur-rounding architecture.

Parking The existing parking layout fails to pro-vide adequate parking and the drive lane within the lot is too narrow. The parking lot isredesigned to include a wider drive lane and a parking island of irrigated trees in crusherfines. The island separates the parking lot from the drive lane, providing vertical interestand shade. In addition, the island provides nine additional parallel parking spots to theeast of the island. This parallel parking not only adds spaces but also narrows the drivelane to two car widths. Additional shade trees are added to the west of the parking lot toprovide shaded parking and vertical interest.

Pick-up and Drop-offBus access is moved to the south in a buses only pick-up/drop-off area. This area isaccessible either from the playground or from the parking lot. The existing drive lane atthe front of the building is narrowed to two car widths. The entrance and exit are alsonarrowed to calm traffic. The overall objective is to allow one curb-side lane for tempo-rary parking and one slow speed lane for driving. A brick-paved pedestrian crossing atthe school entrance provides additional traffic calming.

Traditional Play EquipmentPrimary & IntermediatePrimary and intermediate play areas are separated from the ECE play area. Primary andintermediate composite play structures are sited separately within individual play pits.The primary play pit and swings are situated to the east side of the site, which creates asomewhat separate area delineated by the math spiral and the shade structure. Thisarea includes half-court basketball and the age-appropriate drop shot style game. Theintermediate component equipment and swings are sited to the west side of the asphalt,encompassing the full-sized basketball court. The swings for both groups are pushed tothe edges and back to fencing for better pedestrian safety. All safety surfacing is EWF.

ECE PlaygroundThe ECE play area, like the primary area, is located adjacent to the building. This 5,000square foot area includes trees, hardscape, grass, a trike trail, and a play pit for a com-posite play structure enclosed by a four foot fence.

Federal ECE space requirements prescribe “The outdoor play area must provide a mini-mum of 75 square feet of space per child for a group of children using the total play areaat any one time. The total play area must accommodate at least 33 percent of thelicensed capacity of the center...” Therefore, a 5,000 square foot ECE would meet out-door space licensing requirements for 199 students.

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Rear entrance. Photo October 2003.

Goal 4. Unify the Large Site

At 9.4 acres, this site is immense for an elementary school. Most of the turf field cannot,however, be used effectively because it is too distant from the building. In addition to theactual enormity of the site, the perceived distances are quite large because the asphalttruncates the site in a strongly perpendicular manner quite close to the building.

Asphalt HardscapeThe redesign enlarges the asphalt to further encroach upon the grass; its edge is curvedto soften the barrier between asphalt and grass. Effectively, the grass/hardscape edge issoftened, easing the threshold between. The addition of more asphalt brings basketballinto the main play area. It also pushes the asphalt/turf border farther into the turf so asto better use the whole site.

Wooded KnollThe wooded knoll at the center of the playground provides a large shaded area completewith a central brick plaza, benches, and boulders. This area serves as a unifying space,a pivotal hub, connecting the building to the expanse of play field. The area is moundedup slightly, creating an overlook effect which brings the field closer visually. This mound-ing also adds interest to this flat site and facilitates supervision.

Tree BufferThe school’s layout and storage shed placement create a “no man’s land” to the east ofthe building and behind the shed. To mitigate this problem, the area is partially fencedand planted with a grove of trees. The un-fenced portion of the grove provides a shadyenclave for visiting or waiting for chances to swing. The net effect is a shaded and visu-ally interesting solution to a supervision problem.

Shade StructureThe shade structure is sited central to the playground both to provide a second, centralsupervision spot and to add a strong vertical element to the playground. Game tablesare installed beneath this structure, providing respite and quiet play in close proximity tothe remaining play opportunities.

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Appendix A

Master Plan Drawing

Appendix B

Site Inventory and

Playground Safety Site Assessment

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Appendix C

Example User Survey

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Appendix D

DPS Playground Standards

Appendix E

References

References

Cover drawing: composite by Oakland students: Sahvonia Williams, Edwin VelazquezMunoz, and Jenesha _________

http://www.denver.k12.co.us/schools/e/Elementary/212.shtml Denver Public SchoolsWebsite.

http://www.piton.org/search/list_detail.asp?neighborhood=Cole City of Denver, Office ofPlanning and Development, The Piton Foundation, Searched 25 Jan. 2002.

http://www.robertsmithson.com/earthworks/spiral_jetty.htm Spiral Jetty Photograph.Robert Smithson/James Cohen.

http://www.milkweedcafe.com/photos.html Butterfly Metamorphosis Photos

Julbez, Jose Ma Buendia, Guillermo Eguiarte, Juan Palomar, Sebastian Saldivar, andAlvaro Siza. The Life and Work of Luis Barragan. New York: Rizzoli, 1996.

Landscape Architecture. Volume 92, Number 1. January 2002.

Loxton, Howard and Gregory Long. The Garden, A Celebration. New York: Barron’s,1991.

Pranis, Eve. Turn on Learning With Bulbs. Internet article.http://www.kidsgardening.com/Dig/DigDetail.taf?ID=1069&Type=Art

Volume of Childcare Licensing (12 CCR 2509-8)