Winner: 2024 Honor Award for General Design from the PA-DE Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects

SALT was involved in the design of a schoolyard for a new public charter school in the Swampoodle neighborhood of Philadelphia. The project includes the renovation of the vacant, historic Whittier Elementary School into a modern educational facility. The design transforms the entirely paved site into a welcoming and green schoolyard that integrates opportunities for play and outdoor education. The scope includes design for two separate spaces within the site. A large space at the front of the building provides a series of outdoor learning spaces woven within a larger playspace. The courtyard in the rear of the building creates an exterior lounge for teachers and students and includes picnic tables, a basketball half-court, and an entrance garden leading to a new elevator addition to provide accessibility within the building.

The entire site was developed to sustainably manage stormwater. Rain gardens and bioswales surround the perimeter of the parking lot to collect and manage stormwater from the adjacent paved surfaces. Pervious pavements, including rubber safety surface and unit paving, allow water to infiltrate in place, reducing the load on the City sewer system.

Collaborators: KSS Architects, Ruggiero Plante Land Design

Photography: © Jeffrey Totaro, 2023.