Bainbridge Island, Washington
Wilkes Elementary School
Osborn team members led the landscape architecture for the award-winning Wilkes Elementary School. Located on 10 acres on Bainbridge Island, the school was sited to blend in with the adjacent neighborhood and function as a community park and active play space. With the design team, school district, and community, the Osborn team identified outdoor education, active play, and sustainability as design priorities for this well-used open space. The school site optimizes access to nature, integrates outdoor educational spaces, and features sustainable design systems throughout the site, such as infiltrating stormwater through bioretention areas and permeable pavement.
Owner
Bainbridge Island School District
Client
Mahlum Architects
Role
Landscape Architecture
A terraced hill and staircase directly connect the classrooms to the lower playground. The lawns are designed at 4:1 slopes, just steep enough for kids to roll down and still be safely mowed. The site is planted with low-maintenance, hardy plants to minimize maintenance and mowing. Although a school, the campus at Wilkes has become the primary recreational space for Bainbridge Island’s Northeast neighborhood.
