Outdoor Learning Environments

The four outdoor learning nodes accommodate a range of class sizes and teaching styles with fixed and moveable furniture. The three double-sided chalkboards were created with slate salvaged from an old academic building that a Grinnell team member had kept in storage. The design team and fabricator who constructed the campus signage designed the chalkboards with the same finishes to establish a cohesive material palette across campus. The curved limestone seating is equipped with power outlets, and the quad has access to campus Wi-Fi. Dynamic lighting provides low levels for night-time use.

Identity and Sense of Place

Grinnell is located in Iowa’s tallgrass prairie region, an area defined by grasslands and expansive open spaces. The team embraced the prairie context, shifting from predominantly turf-grass manicured lawns to a prairie-inspired ground plane with dominant uses of switchgrass, prairie drop seed, and blue grama grass. Coneflower, oxeye sunflower, sumac, and Aspen trees create seasonal diversity and spatial definition. The team drew inspiration from Grinnell landmarks like the Merchants National Bank, a Midwestern jewel-box bank designed by architect Louis Sullivan. The building’s proportions and details informed the design of the warm, glowing lanterns atop the new gateways.