Ambleside School of Colorado
Lone Tree, Colorado
January 2025
.25 acres
Ambleside School is a Christ-centered institution that emphasizes learning through meaningful engagement with nature. Galloway was hired by the school to renovate an existing church building and its surrounding landscape featuring a nature-themed playground with integrated outdoor education areas.
The playground program focused on providing flexible outdoor learning and gathering spaces that could accommodate full classes, small groups, or individual play and contemplation. In alignment with Ambleside’s philosophy of education through interaction with nature, Galloway’s design emphasizes adventure and nature play, incorporating a diverse mix of natural materials and engaging, nature-themed playground elements.
The selected playground location offered logical proximity to the main building, an existing soccer field, and the outdoor cafeteria. However, the site also presented significant physical challenges. Steep slopes on both sides drained into a central water channel that could not be re-routed. Rather than viewing these constraints as limitations, the design team transformed them into functional and exciting play features.
To address the sloped topography, boulder and timber retaining walls were used to create a series of terraced play areas, each with distinct materials and themes:
Decomposed granite paths and flagstone steps provide circulation between terraces, allowing for safe and accessible movement throughout the site.
Key play and learning elements include:
Key Services/Features
