BSLA Fieldbook BSLA 2015 Spring Fieldbook | Page 11

for listening to the public’s comments and
for coming to the final meeting with a design
that reflected what the public had said.
CBA was involved with the Boston
Schoolyard Initiative from 2001 until the end
of its program in 2014— We designed twelve
schoolyards over that period. The Initiative
was a private-public partnership between
the non-profit Funders’ Collaborative and the
City of Boston. The over-arching goal of this
program was to change Boston Schoolyards
from seas of bleak asphalt to environments
that fostered play and learning.

budget. Our goal is to design to the given
budget because it is our experience that
a project that is over-designed often loses
its integrity when whittled down to meet
the available budget. However, sometimes
the client’s or public’s goals and objectives
cannot be met within the given budget. In
these cases we work very hard to resolve
these conflicts before the design progresses.

Construction administration is often
challenging, especially in public bidding.
The low bid wins the construction contract,
and many contractors (but not all) try to cut
corners. At one of the first projects CBA did
It was interesting to observe how within
for Boston’s Public Facilities Department
this program, design approaches evolved.
we had a fence installation detail that
Initially, in the design criteria, the primary
had a concrete footing for each fence post
educational component for the schoolyard
underneath the edge of a continuous
was an area where children could gather
concrete sidewalk. We assumed that the
with their teachers and listen to instruction
contractor would pour the footing and then
or view and participate in performances.
the sidewalk and core through the sidewalk
Over time the “outdoor classroom” evolved
and into the footing for each post. I arrived
from something like an amphitheater to a
on site after the sidewalk was poured, but
special area where children can learn about
I hadn’t seen the footings installed. When I
nature and the natural environment. This
asked the contractor if the footings had been
change in approach was in response to the
poured, he said, “Yes”. I asked him to show
concept of “nature
T h e b e s t r e s u l t s c o me f ro m me the first
deficit disorder.”
one and his
Following this
li s t e n i n g t o t h e s h a r e - h ol d e r s . response was,
change in direction,
“You caught
CBA designed areas where plants can grow
me!” I am glad to say that the City threw that
and where their characteristics can be
contractor off the job.
viewed by students throughout the seasons.
Areas for children to grow their own plants,
So what have we learned from our years
and move rocks around to view bugs and
of designing municipal parks? The need for
worms crawling beneath them, were
urban public open space is greater than ever.
incorporated into the outdoor classroom.
The best results come from listening to the
This movement towards hands-on learning
share-holders. Trends evolve. Designing to a
in outdoor classrooms, especially in urban
budget is crucial, and don’t assume anything
areas, is a trend that we are seeing across
on a construction site!
the country.
One aspect of the design process that we
at CBA are always very mindful of is the

Started Out Born in Tallahassee and grew up in Arlington, VA
Education Smith College (geology and art history); MLA, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Now Founding Principal of CBA Landscape Architects
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook

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