When VFA was brought on-board for this project, the school’s main outdoor play space was in a very poor state, after having been used as a staging ground for a building expansion project. VFA was tasked with the design and implementation of a new synthetic turf field and adventure playground for the school. The site presented numerous design challenges: steep slopes, heavy use, difficult access, and the presence of a demolished former school building below the proposed turf field playing area. The grading for the new synthetic turf field was strategically coordinated to “float” above the former school’s buried building foundation and debris. The steep slopes within the schoolyard were creatively used to develop terraces in and around the playground area – which added to the imaginative play value of this space. Numerous new shade trees were planted throughout the schoolyard and continue to thrive.
