May is Living Schoolyards Month, a celebration of spaces that encourage collaboration, learning, and fun.
This month, we are highlighting our own Melonie Reynolds, PLA, who has spent more than 20 years designing and creating spaces that become the centerpieces of communities.
Read this Q&A with Melonie to get to know her, learn more about landscape architecture, and explore the importance of living schoolyards.
Background & Experience
Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to landscape architecture?
“I fell into landscape architecture after graduating from Lehigh University with a degree in architecture. I wasn't having any luck landing a job in the Bay Area in architecture and came across an intern opportunity at a landscape architecture firm. Fast forward 21 years, and I am a licensed landscape architect and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Every project is different, from the client to the users to the site topography and shape.”
What drew you specifically to working on school or educational environments?
“The firms I have worked at have always allowed me the opportunity to work on all types of projects and try my hand at new markets or tasks. Being newer to the workforce and working on higher education campuses was what initially drew me into campus design. I could relate to what the students were experiencing on campus and what they might want to see. It allowed me to leverage my recent firsthand experience in my new, real-world job. It was exciting, and it turns out that many of those principles and design methods are applicable across all grades and campus types.”
How has your past experience shaped your approach to designing for students and educators?
“I've always loved school, attending classes, being on campus, hanging out in the quad, people-watching, even the occasional all-nighter in college. And when I discovered that I could shape those spaces for current and future students, it was a natural progression to designing them and becoming an advocate for good campus design.
Becoming a parent in recent years has given me a new perspective. I want to be part of good campus design that fosters community and learning and encourages students to engage with their peers and enjoy their environments, both inside and outside the classroom.”
Living Schoolyards Month
What does “Living Schoolyards” mean to you?
“Living schoolyards means outdoor spaces on campuses that allow for student and staff collaboration and learning. These spaces are designed with flexibility in mind so that they can impact the lives of people on campus for years to come.”
How can schools transform their outdoor spaces into more engaging, living environments?
“By balancing hardscape with softscape. The norm is moving away from asphalt and concrete paving toward a softer approach, striking a balance between maintenance and meaningful use.”
Designing for Schools
What makes designing for schools different from other types of landscape architecture projects?
“I strongly believe that good landscape design is good landscape design. The same principles that guide outdoor experiences can be applied to all types of projects.
However, campus design is special. These are sites where students spend most of their day. They are expected to learn and engage, so these campuses should be welcoming and inspiring. Post-COVID has seen a shift toward prioritizing outdoor spaces and learning environments that are more than just hardscape and pathways to doors.
Changes in climate and policy have also directed us to create outdoor spaces that students and educators can comfortably enjoy throughout the school year.
Lastly, public school design is funded by public dollars. I feel a profound sense of responsibility to spend those dollars wisely and invest in improvements that directly impact the campus population.”
What role do outdoor spaces play in student development and well-being?
“They promote physical health through active play, support mental wellness by reducing stress and improving mood, foster social skills through interaction and cooperation, enhance focus and academic performance, and offer opportunities to connect with nature and learn through hands-on experiences.”
What are some key elements you always try to incorporate into a schoolyard design?
“Shade, both natural (trees) and built (shade structures). Flexible spaces that allow for many uses and user groups. Spaces that can stand the test of time—site improvement funding does not come along often.
Elements that elicit school pride, such as murals, the use of school colors in site furnishings, and public art.”
Passion & Perspective
What do you enjoy most about working on school projects?
“The immediate impact campus improvements have on students, staff, and visitors. Often, we are improving existing play areas, providing new shade and outdoor learning opportunities, school gardens, and improved drop-offs.”
How have you seen well-designed outdoor spaces positively impact students or school communities?
“I have seen both students and staff become excited to be on campus and start spending time in the new outdoor spaces.”
What excites you most about the future of schoolyard design?
“The movement away from simply paving everything because it is cost-effective and easy to maintain. The shift toward vibrant outdoor spaces that balance hardscape and softscape and foster learning, collaboration, and reflection.
Schoolyards are more than active areas, they can also provide passive spaces for quiet reflection and restoration.”
What inspires your creativity when designing outdoor spaces?
“I think about how I used to play as a kid, the spaces I enjoy now as an adult, and the experiences my young daughter would love. Color, light, and materiality are always top of mind when designing these spaces.”
In one sentence: Why do schoolyards matter?
“Schoolyards are safe and engaging outdoor environments that provide students with space to be physically active, support their mental well-being, encourage social interaction, enhance learning through play and exploration, and connect them with nature.”
