MontClair Elementary's 3.5 acre campus is located in Oakland, California and serves 420 Kindergarten through fifth grade students. Student population is projected to increase to 600 by 2012 which will not be supported by existing facilities. Therefore, the Oakland Unified School District awarded the school a ten million dollar bond to upgrade their facilities and schoolyard.

To provide students with a holistic high performance school, both the interior and exterior school environment should be utilized for comprehensive learning and play. Through analysis and synthesis of University Colorado Denver's Learning Landscapes Program and California's Collaborative for High Performance Schools Program (CHPS), a hybrid learning landscape framework was formed. The framework principles were then applied to MontClair Elementary and resulted in a curriculum inspired school environment that links students, community and nature.

Site issues addressed through design improve the campus unity, identity, aesthetics and functionality. Major issues include a weak link between curriculum and schoolyard, lack of shade and accessible vegetation, awkward asphalt terracing of the site, heat island effect and weed control.

For full project details: http://issuu.com/jvickrey/docs/hybridlearninglandscapeframework