The current trend in reexamining the use of outdoor space owes its development to more than one factor: the environmental conservation movement, studies in the learning process, economic necessity, demographic changes and more.A singular seminal influence not to be overlooked was the publication in 2005 of Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, winner of the 2008 Audubon Medal.In it Louv describes what he terms "nature-deficit disorder", a growing disconnect between American children and the natural world.The case he makes, and that of subsequent authors, has resulted in school designers the world over taking a closer look at possibilities for "naturalizing" our schools.Given the increased public awareness of the environment, it also makes good public relations sense to adopt an approach that not only is aesthetically pleasing, but demonstrates an awareness of environmental responsibility.

Outdoor space utilization can serve various and often simultaneous purposes: ecological, psycho-sociological and practical, among others.An example of an ecological application is a "green roof", the adaptation of a building roof in order to grow vegetation and conserve and utilize rainwater.Shown is the roof of Public School 58, The Carroll School in Brooklyn, as designed by David Briggs, AIA LEED AP, of loci architecture pc [sic], New York.The adaptation provides multiple benefits including insulation, rainwater capture, energy usage reduction, increased awareness of ecology, and science education.As the City alone emits almost a quarter percent of the world's greenhouse gases, of which nearly 80% come from buildings, the School is at the forefront of New York's commitment to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030.

And this contribution will have a lasting impact on Carroll's students.According to Briggs, the "students will graduate with a deep awareness of their responsibility to the earth and with the confidence that comes from practical experience to make a difference."

These same benefits and others apply regardless of building size and location.Contrast this 30,000 square-foot project, located in a densely populated northeastern city, with the 13,000 square-foot roof garden project of the district office for the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District in rural Sedona, Arizona. Designed by Orcutt | Winslow of Phoenix, the completed garden will integrate aesthetically with its natural Southwest environment by making use of native plant species and an uncluttered design.The green roof trend began in Germany where it is estimated that 10% of all roofs have been "greened", but the U.S. is catching up with ten dedicated green roof research centers.

If in conversation you broach the topic of outdoor space utilization in school design, nine times out of ten your listener will immediately think of ecology, "the green wave."Granted, growing concern for the natural environment by the public, as well as a recognition of Louv's "nature-deficit disorder" by educators, is most of the impetus, but other factors are at work too.There is a growing body of evidence from research that shows the heretofore undervalued role the outdoor environment plays in the psycho-social development of children.And too, we are starting to recognize some very practical reasons for putting as much effort into a school's landscape design as into its interior.In the second part of this article, we shall look at these factors.

See how outdoors spaces are being designed at Schooldesigner.com!