Benjamin Brown School - Somerville MA

This urban schoolyard’s need for flexible uses to accommodate recess, physical education classes (the school has no gymnasium), afterschool activities, and community use, drove a program that maximizes the opportunities and flexibility of its limited space. The small synthetic turf multipurpose field is striped for multiple sports, but also works the alphabet into the sidelines, and allows for a temporary fence to be set up or taken down as needed to divide the space. A basketball court, kickball diamond, foursquare, hopscotch, educational graphics, and an activity trail share space on much of the remaining asphalt, and an alcove in the building was activated by painting the blank brick wall with “wall ball” spots and targets.