Sand Lake
Learning Lab
In 2021, the Sand Lake Learning Lab was awarded the Alaska Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects Award of Excellence.
Project Statement
Humans, specifically children whose minds are not fully developed, are spending more time in front of screens engaging with a fast changing, highly curated virtual reality. Outdoor learning environments such as the Sand Lake Learning Lab encourage more organic forms of interaction, problem solving, and risk negotiation with their fellow peers which are important skills for child development.
This project is significant because it engages the community over a number of years and continues to facilitate a comfort, familiarity, and curiosity with the natural environment. Uniquely, it continues to share elements of the Japanese Immersion curriculum with the surrounding community and expands on the programmatic opportunities for teachers and students alike.
Entryway into the space featuring an Intrinsic Designs custom design build torii, inspired by Japanese landscapes.
Students at the Sand Lake Elementary School chose what Kanjii should be featured in the space and provided illustrations for interpretive signage to educate others.
Custom Benches, also by Intrinsic Landscapes provide order in the space, and 12x12 timbers with interpretive signage provide a rhythmic edge for outdoor learning and gathering.
Students at the Sand Lake Elementary School chose what Kanjii should be featured in the space and provided illustrations for interpretive signage to educate others. Additionally, cutouts of the kanji provide a pop of color and curiosity at the top of each timber.
Kanji stepping stones, thematically grouped for the seasons dot the entry to the space providing further educational opportunities.
Red stained wood- significant for Japanese culture. Red represents wisdom, transformation and all that is sacred.
Looking back towards the entrance from the stage, you see carefully placed boulders- an ode to Japanese garden design and creating microcosms of the surrounding environment.
Up top cords have been strung to help provide programmatic opportunities, and below stone from Seward was trucked up to provide locally sourced materials for the space.
Project Narrative
Sand Lake Park is nestled between Sand Lake and Sand Lake Elementary School on the west end of Anchorage, Alaska. The park offers 5.1 acres of partially wooded land, a large water body, two docks, and a paved trail. Sand Lake Park is important to the community and is used primarily by local neighbors, the Anchorage Rowing Club and individuals at Sand Lake Elementary School.
The outdoor learning space sits on the southern end of Sand Lake Park on a hill just above the paved trail. The hill has an approximate 50 ft. by 50 ft. open space surrounded by birch, cottonwood, and spruce trees. The students selected this location for an outdoor learning lab because of its outstanding westward view of the lake and it is relatively flat and clear of many trees.
This project was a multi-year effort with several sixth grade classes at Sand Lake Elementary School, which is known for its Japanese Immersion curriculum. This project started in 2015, when the Sand Lake Elementary School decided to adopt Sand Lake Park and begin helping with garbage sweeps and deferred maintenance. In 2016, the group applied for an Anchorage Park Foundation Challenge Grant, and the learning lab gained momentum when a combination of teachers, students, and professionals were awarded a Challenge Grant in 2017.
Per the design development of the 2016-2017 sixth grade class, the concept for the learning lab is a koi fish, with a platform as the tail, boulders for the eyeball, and the shape of the classroom inspired by the fishlike shape of the koi fish. As stated on the website created by the sixth graders “We met with our landscape architects several times so we can develop concept maps for our outdoor learning space. We decided since the view of the lake draws us to our selected area that our concept designs would be based around ‘water.’ We also would like to add touches of Japanese culture to our outdoor space. But not too much because we want the public to also enjoy it.”
The student design was then refined and during 2018, students constructed scale models of the learning lab, helped survey the design prior to construction, and worked with the design team to create kanji stepping tones and kanji interpretive signage that is currently installed in the park.
During the final installation in 2019, the project was completed by a combination of design build elements, installation and grade work by a general contractor, and volunteer help. In the following images, you will see not only did the students decide on the kanji displayed in the learning lab, they also helped install the stepping stones, and put the finishing touches in the space. For the ribbon cutting numerous students also put together a dance and performed in front of their fellow classmates, local community members, and leaders including their local state representatives.
To watch my presentation on Sand Lake Learning Lab and outdoor environments as part of the Anchorage Museum's 2020 Design Week Discussion "Future Landscapes: Learn//Anchorage" follow this link: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/ADW_SpeakerSeries_LearnByNature
Sand Lake Learning Lab was a collaborative project with Sand Lake Elementary School, Kevin Doniere (PLA), and Chad Taylor of Intrinsic Landscapes. The learning lab also made possible because of a highly engaged and dedicated teacher Jena Piacenti as well as landscape architects from The Alaska Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture who volunteered their time over a the duration of design development.
PLANNING & DESIGN TEAM: Taylor Keegan, Kevin Doniere, Chad Taylor, Vania Hawkins
OUTREACH PARTNER: Sand Lake Elementary School
Jena Piacenti + Grade 6 Students
Brendan Stuart @ Schools on Trails Coordinator
INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE: Annette Heckart (US Forest Service)
SURVEYOR: Mark Aimonetti, EDGE Surveyor
OUTREACH + FUNDING PARTNER: Anchorage Parks Foundation
FABRICATION + CONSTRUCTION: Intrinsic Landscapes
GMG Construction
Neighborhood Volunteers