Park Hill Elementary School

Park Hill Academy was a complete renovation of an existing playground and the surrounding landscape as a part of the Learning Landscapes program through Denver Public Schools. The work was done as a collaboration with a graduate student in University of Colorado Denver’s landscape architecture department. In addition, the design process included working with: school teachers and administrators, parents, Denver Public Schools, and the surrounding community through a public process. The playgrounds and fields are open to the public after school hours and act as a small park for the surrounding community as well.

Park Hill was designed with the different ecosystems of Colorado not only as a concept to inspire design form, but as a learning tool for the kids and community as well. The geology, wildlife, and native plant communities of each Colorado ecosystem were highlighted and used throughout the project. A green stormwater management approach was used by capturing all of the surface runoff in rain gardens.