Architects: Cannon Design

The development of School 90’s curriculum-based interior courtyard came about through a collaborative design approach with faculty and administration. The design of the courtyard began as outdoor space for science based curriculum. As the project went through the design phase, the scope of the project was expanded to include areas for math, music, art, geology and language arts/cultural lessons along with areas for play and physical education; creating a multi-curriculum based outdoor learning environment.

Because School 90 is located in a harsh urban environment, it was important to the faculty that the students be able to experience a true variety of landscapes and outdoor activities. This included growing their own fruits and vegetables in raised planter beds to understand where their food comes from, or understanding how local native plants were used by Native Indians, or simply being inspired by a bright yellow daylily.

The math area is placed next to science and shares pavers of various sizes for counting and proportion lessons and in various materials to see how they heat and cool with the sun. A water channel winds throughout the courtyard and a centralized gathering space helps to unify the outdoor classroom spaces and allows for large group instruction. Opportunities for physical education can be found throughout the courtyard from the circular path around the large gathering space to the logs for jumping and balancing and the mounds and boulders for climbing.

Every element within the courtyard is designed for multiple uses and opportunities for interaction between the students and the natural world, and most importantly each element helps teachers meet New York State curriculum for early education.