Lacamas Lake Elementary School
Sited between 5 wetlands, 250-year old white oaks and a fish bearing creek, the new Lacamas Heights Elementary school connects students to existing site features with the creation of a variety of unique outdoor learning environments. These include an amphitheater nestled within an existing grove of trees, outdoor classrooms, a courtyard with framing the view of Mt Hood, and a variety of nature play spaces that use materials collected from the site. In response to the ecological sensitivity of the existing white oaks, no irrigation meadow grasses replace turf in many areas of the playground and low impact play structures are used to reduce impact on their root systems. The extensive path systems promotes activity and exploration for children of all ages.