3.4 acres
Client: St. Thomas School
Partners: Bassetti Architects
Completed 2008

St. Thomas School was envisioned as a learning landscape, providing an active, engaging and welcoming environment for students, staff and the community. Special care was taken to relate the form and scale of the campus to the surrounding residential neighborhood, while providing ample space for play and outdoor learning. With sustainability as a primary objective and space at a premium, the design focused on flexibility, resource efficiency and multiplicity of use. The three-acre site includes outdoor spaces that offer social, recreational and educational value, with an emphasis on connecting students to the natural environment. Distinct planting areas were thoughtfully designed to depict various native plant communities, providing low-maintenance and water-efficient landscaping solutions that can also be integrated into classroom activities. Additional landscape elements include pervious paving materials, a demonstration green roof and a playful stormwater collection system that offers interpretive opportunities. All stormwater run-off is treated onsite through a series of raingardens.