Old Trail School Outdoor Classroom

Location

Bath, Ohio

Services

Architectural Design

Photography

Nick Brilla

Created by

Peninsula Architects

Old Trail School is a private K-8 school that continues to pioneer teaching methods. One of the unique things about the school is that it is the only school in the country physically located within a National Park. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park surrounds the campus which was the inspiration for the project. Bring nature in and engage the students outside. 

The outdoor classroom itself was intended to blend into the landscape and create multiple layers and environments for learning. The main level boasts a covered learning pavilion with restrooms, drinking fountain, and an indoor lab/prep kitchen. The upper floor grows right out of the hillside and is an extension of the neighboring farmland. The green roof allows students to gain aerial views of the national park, allow teachers another space for outdoor education, and a great sledding hill come winter. In addition to the classroom, we helped create two outdoor sensory playscapes that focused on age-based learning.

Fast forward to completion, the building is used year-round in many ways, and has quickly become the favorite ‘classroom’. Old Trail invests in their student’s education and we were thrilled at the opportunity to enhance the students experience on campus.