ELDORADO COMMUNITY SCHOOL QUAD

The Eldorado Community School recently expanded from kindergarten through 6th grades to include 7th and 8th grades. Because it was always a K-6, the existing outdoor spaces were intended for younger student interaction and play. The president of the PTA contacted Surroundings to share their concerns in hope that we could design a low-cost social gathering space just for the 6th through 8th grade students at the school. A 3000 square foot, undeveloped trapezoidal area adjoining the school cafeteria was given as the site for social gathering and outdoor learning.

Surroundings developed two primary social gathering areas: one was a larger classroom scale gathering space to allow teachers to take their classes outdoors; and the other area was a collection of multiple smaller "pods" for one on one interaction or solo contemplation. In lieu of off-the-shelf playground equipment and site furniture, we utilized natural features such as boulders, berms, ADA accessible paths, and landscape to define social spaces for the students

LOCATION:
Eldorado, NM

CLIENT:
Eldorado Community School PTA

DESIGN TEAM:
Kenneth Francis, Principal
Madeleine Aguilar Medrano

SERVICES PROVIDED:
Landscape Architecture

CONTRACTOR:
Landscape: El Toro