LMS^A was selected to build three new buildings on an existing campus for the Nueva School. The new buildings are carefully located around a new courtyard to align with the existing topography and to preserve existing trees to the greatest extent possible. However, to construct this new “clearing in the woods,” many trees needed to be sacrificed.

We engaged the students at the Nueva School for their input with the design. LMS^A organized a presentation and conversation; aside from fielding questions such as “how much do buildings weigh?”, we learned from the students that the existing trees we proposed cutting down were home to one of their primary outdoor play areas; a place where brave knights journeyed and where solitary travelers rested in the dappled light.