The Town of Arlington, MA selected the existing Gibbs School for an adaptive renovation and conversion for a town-wide 6th grade building. DMLA worked with the client and architectural design team to improve way-finding, accessibility, and create a range of outdoor classroom features and playground elements, including a play surface at the northeast side of the property. In addition to designing, laying out, and detailing the play surface, I participated in meetings on site with school administration and prepped the site for a professional photoshoot after construction.
The oblong shape of the site posed a challenge as a designated play area because it could not accommodate traditional play equipment suitable for middle schoolers. The medium for the play area then became poured-in-place rubber surfacing. The surface design includes a court game at one end that the Gibbs School’s principal played as a child in her own school yard, surrounded by an elongated “racing track.” The colors were chosen to match the Gibbs School's colors. Custom construction details describe specific interactions between the new play surface and its surroundings.
