Winner: 2024 Honor Award for General Design from the PA-DE Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects

The redesigned schoolyard at KIPP Philadelphia Preparatory Academy transforms a barren asphalt lot into a vibrant, multifunctional space that supports play, learning, movement, and connection. Guided by KIPP’s core values—joy, resilience, and activism—the design is infused with bold colors, playful forms, and dynamic patterns to create an environment that is both uplifting and empowering. Sustainable design strategies are embedded throughout, demonstrating a commitment to environmental justice while fostering a strong sense of student agency and belonging.

At the entrance of the school, students are greeted by lush greenery, colorful sculpted berms, and bold play equipment. Two circular seating areas serve dual purposes as outdoor classrooms and gathering spaces for older students, while younger students can climb, balance, and perform on vertical structures, mounds, and a turf-covered stage. On the south side of the building, a vibrant courtyard invites students and staff to dine, socialize, and play, with shaded tables, stools, a basketball half-court, and a cheerful painted ground mural. The schoolyard’s green infrastructure captures and infiltrates stormwater on-site through multiple rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable surfaces.

Collaborators: KSS Architects, Ruggiero Plante Land Design

Status: Construction Completed August 2023

Photography: © Jeffrey Totaro, 2023.