December 18, 2013--What does environmental stewardship mean in an architectural sense? The environment becomes a teacher of sustainability to those who inhabit it. Architects must anticipate what kind of behavior the built environment inspires in people, and how people will correspondingly interact with the larger natural environment.

Manzanita School encourages students to reconnect with nature. By partnering with Opsis Architecture, Parallax has been able to create a design that tangibly represents the principles of the school while acting as an eco-conscious steward of the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains. The gateway and learning center for the campus incorporates exterior spaces as an integral component of learning. The entry portal connects to a multi-level path that gradually ascends the hilly terrain, ensuring that students will be immersed in nature each time they enter the campus. Once they ascend the path, visitors enter the learning center. The learning center makes use of the concept of an “outdoor room,” whereby students are surrounded by nature while simultaneously being kept within the framework of a structured learning environment. Both the path and the learning center foster a connection with nature in a welcoming way while minimizing human impact on the site.