Background

The Hockaday School was established in 1913 to provide an outstanding college preparatory education for girls of all ages and backgrounds. Having outgrown its original facilities over forty years ago, the school is currently situated on a 100-acre wooded property. Throughout the past forty years, campus growth stretched in multiple directions, creating a series of unrelated outdoor spaces and an environment seldom related to the buildings situated within it. The development of a new Lower School building and an Academic Research Center (ARC), as first considered, would have contributed more discontinuity to the already rambling campus.

The Project

The creation of these two new buildings was originally perceived as primarily an architectural and space planning exercise. Site development, while necessary, was considered to be a subservient need to the academic facility. As envisioned, the creation of the new Lower School would stretch the limits of the built campus, and the ARC would occupy a prime open space at the center of the heavily wooded site. The client understood that these new buildings would have significant visual impact, but did not fully appreciate the turning point that these sittings created for the overall campus. The $15 million dollar construction of the two new buildings could have resulted in a chaotic patchwork of additional unconnected and left over spaces that could not have been easily undone.

The Landscape Architect recognized a rare window to remedy these functional and aesthetic problems, persuading the client to adopt a vision for the creation of a series of vital outdoor spaces and linkages. The challenges presented by this global approach to both projects would be the integration of two very large buildings into the campus fabric and at the same time the creation of a physical 'heart' for the school where none had existed before. If successful, a new outdoor environment would be established that would serve the functional needs of the school community and further its academic mission.

Set into the center of the campus, the ARC is an imposing structure that could have easily seemed to push the adjacent grove of existing live oak trees away from it. As a facility used by all Hockaday students, it would be important to convey a comfortable environment in and around the building for a preschooler at story time as well as the senior drafting admissions essays. The Landscape Architect's response to this part of the challenge is evident as one gazes out into the ARC Courtyard from the building. With its huge wall of glass, what could have been formidable and cold is instead friendly. Outdoors has become a part of the building and the building is well rooted to its site. The thoughtful preservation of seven mature live oaks, championed by the efforts of the Landscape Architect throughout the design and construction process, made this possible. The reading nooks downstairs became cozy window seats surrounded by masses of ferns. To be in an upstairs study carrel is to sit in a treehouse.

The ARC Courtyard was envisioned as more than just a beautiful and lush garden space. In addition to the live oak preservation, the ARC courtyard was designed with two other core needs in mind:

a remedy for severe circulation problems through campus and the desire to create a suitable setting and front door for the ARC building. Furthermore, the Landscape Architect saw the courtyard as an opportunity to demonstrate and expand the school philosophy in the external environment with the creation of a central 'living room', blending shade. color, broad seatwalls, lighting and furniture into an inviting and restful space. In this new place, through socializing and through learning, dual goals of character development and scholarship could be nurtured.

The new Lower School building pushed the campus limits further to the east, stretching the built edge of the campus away from the ARC and inviting further discontinuity. To counter this possibility, the Landscape Architect's plan proposed the relocation and expansion of a playground and the creation of a broad open lawn to link the previously isolated campus open spaces. A key element in the creation of this new focus was the redevelopment of an existing, overgrown pond, newly recreated as both a campus sanctuary and a teaching garden. With the buildings completed and landscape plan implemented, the lawn now connects the pond, the Commencement Courtyard, the new playground, and the ARC with the newly expanded Lower School and adjacent sports fields and facilities.

All areas were built as first envisioned and designed by the Landscape Architect. The broad walks of the ARC courtyard are now both building and people connectors: they function as pathway and plaza. The simple palette of stone, brick, wood, pavers and plants creates a hub and at the same time, a destination and venue for both study and celebrations. On a given day the ARC Courtyard may serve as an informal classroom and an impromptu study hall, becoming in the evening an outdoor bistro for a fund-raising reception. With the playground relocated and the lawn stretched out to embrace the surrounding campus, it is almost hard to remember what had been located there before.

The Role of the Landscape Architect

The Landscape Architect was responsible for creating the vision for the integration of the new facilities and spaces into the campus as well as for all exterior planning and design work; construction documentation; and construction observation services for all exterior layout, grading, pavements, lighting and planting. The successful preservation efforts to save all but one of the existing mature trees on site was led by the Landscape Architect, through close work with the general contractor and subcontractors during all phases of the demolition and utility construction work and throughout the subsequent landscape development phases. The Landscape Architect collaborated with faculty and staff for the reclamation of the pond, ensuring its suitability for future science class programs. The pond, formerly a neglected grass and weed-choked drainage area, was re-vitalized as part of this project, transforming a campus eyesore into a new outdoor classroom. Planted with over thirty varieties of native and perennial species, and adopted by butterflies, fish and an extended family of wild ducks, this venue promotes the study of numerous subjects and a deeper appreciation of nature by students, faculty and parents alike.

Project Significance

Hockaday has declared the projects a success, having already adopted and found the spaces integral to campus life. A framework of unique connections has been crafted that serves all members of the Hockaday community and effectively ties the campus together with a series of vibrant and vital open spaces. From playground to planters to pond, every area of the new development is accessible. The lush plant materials selected are not only well suited to their environment but are also sustainable and easily maintained by the school maintenance staff. The vista of the broad green lawn and new playground is appreciated both inside and outside the Lower School. The ARC courtyard is used as intended: both as crossroads and as study hall. The activity its soothing central space encourages is a gentle heartbeat for Hockaday's campus life. The Landscape Architect began and carried to completion the goal of creating and energizing an integrated campus: one that is stimulating, nurturing, and inspirational.