Sierra Brown

Sticky metal playgrounds and hot asphalt. Bare patches of dirt on browning soccer fields. Limited shade with no space for solitude and quiet. A small cluster of trees - sometimes. This is what tends to come to mind when we think about a typical schoolyard. Soon, however, six Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) schoolyards may receive a green makeover.

Under Ferguson Pyatt’s mentorship, fourth year architecture student Masani Salazar designed and constructed a three-bedroom floorplan prototype model at an 8-inch scale, mirroring the Taos Pueblo’s traditional style of architecture. She hopes that by designing housing that is familiar and comfortable, built out of adobe or similar material and following traditional architectural styles, more people will choose to stay in the community.

With its bright yellow walls and large black lettering, the Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR) in the Environmental Design building is hard to miss. But with a single door and no indoor windows to reveal the room’s inner workings, the mystery surrounding what goes on behind those walls is palpable.

As part of an independent study course, the students working on the project have spent the summer retrofitting ENVD 134A: installing new carpet tiles to mitigate sound reflection, adding updated lighting systems and constructing floor-to-ceiling shelving units built to accommodate and showcase the variety of design materials.

Over the summer, a hard-working group of faculty, staff and students spent months updating studio spaces in both the basement and eastern wing of the third floor.

A day-long event was organized through a collaboration between the Renée Crown Wellness Institute and the Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR). The occasion featured four innovative professionals who have engaged in research and programs centered around connecting communities to nature to address key health issues. 

After 27 years of administrative, advisory, leadership and program support work, Peggy Gordon, assistant director of academic services, will graduate with the ENVD class of 2023 and enroll in retirement this spring.