An outdoor classroom for experiential learning

Roberts Farm is a 212 acre property of the Western Foothills Land Trust. For many years, school children from the Oxford Hills School District have been participating in nature-based learning activities on this site. Currently housed in a temporary trailer, the school district envisioned a new building that would provide a year-round indoor classroom and covered pavilion with accessible restroom facilities.

Placework worked in collaboration with the school administration, outdoor educators, and representatives from the land trust to envision a new classroom facility that integrates with the existing landscape and provides the safe, accessible space that serves all parties. Funded by a federal grant, the new building features a high-performance envelope and attention to the use of healthy, biogenic materials. It opened to students in November 2024.