WRT was hired by Wilmington Friends School to modernize their existing lower school building and outdoor play spaces. The project includes the replacement of the exterior facade and windows for an improved thermal envelope; renovation of all interior spaces for new and fresh learning environments; new energy efficient HVAC systems and lighting; and a new addition which will provide a welcoming and bright entrance to the lower school and provide a central school commons for informal gathering. The new school commons opens up to the renovated library emphasizing this as the heart of their school community. The commons also provides a new direct connection to the outdoor play space and the woods beyond. The Lower School sits within a clearing in the woods, yet their was very little connection or interaction with this natural resource. A goal of the landscape design was to connect with and interpret the vibrant ecosystem that the school is embedded in. Through dynamic play structures, natural materials and native plantings the design of the play spaces blurs the line between the natural and structured school environment.
