School Description
Maria Mitchell is a cooperative, diverse environment in which families and the school community nurture students to become life-long learners by accepting the responsibility to foster individual potential and demand high expectations.
Maria Mitchell School began inspiring generations of children when it opened in 1898. Ours is the only school in the United States named for the nineteenth century scientist, Maria Mitchell. Maria believed she could be anything she wanted to be and ultimately became the first recognized female astronomer in the US. Located just north of downtown Denver, Maria Mitchell Elementary School is unique for its creativity such as offering racially integrated classes from its inception, being Denver’s first public Montessori school, and extending the school year in the 1990’s. Several educators, politicians, business leaders and community leaders attended Maria Mitchell School. Held to high expectations within a nurturing and inspiring environment, each child under our care will continue to achieve.
Learning Landscapes Description
This site hosts one of the older Denver Urban Gardens and is named after Maria Mitchell, the first U.S. female astronomer, and highlights community engagement, health awareness, space exploration, and youth empowerment.
January 2004
Landscape Architect
GPD Land Design
Play Equipment Vendor
Miracle Recreation Equipment Company
School Garden Sponsor
Denver Urban Gardens
Community Garden
Master Plan
Vision
Mitchell Elementary’s landscape will be a gathering place where children learn and develop identity through creative play.
Goals
- To create a gathering place for Mitchell elementary school students and Cole, Whittier, and Five Points community members.
- To reinforce Mitchell’s curriculum and vision in a landscape that promotes learning through creative play.
- To increase recreational and physical educational opportunities for all age groups and ability levels.
- To create rituals that establish a sense of timelessness and an ability to sustain itself through change.
- To celebrate Maria Mitchell and her contributions to education, science, and civil rights.
Design Development
Description
This site hosts one of the older Denver Urban Gardens and is named after Maria Mitchell, the first U.S. female astronomer, and highlights community engagement, health awareness, space exploration, and youth empowerment
Illustrative Drawing
Design Development Drawings
Presentation Boards
Collage
Construction Documentation
Description from Architect
Mitchell Elementary’s learning landscape was implemented in two phases. Design Concepts worked on the second phase and continued the astronomy theme based on the namesake of the school, Maria Mitchell. Maria was an astronomer and now a creative infl uence on the learning elements of this playground. New play equipment areas are surrounded by asphalt court games that are striped with moon phases and constellations. An interactive sundial is a unique feature on the site that casts a shadow at the current time of day when a student stands in the center. A new moonscape mural created by students and artist Kristine Smock is a colorful addition to the south side of the building. Site improvements also included a renovated parking lot, new basketball courts, plantings and new sod and irrigation for the existing play field. A volunteer build day added new trees, shrubs and perennials to the playground.
Illustrative Plan
Construction Drawings 1
Construction Drawings 2
Play Equipment
Shade Structure