Outdoor spaces as an extension of the learning environment

Year: 2025
Street address: San Francisco Unified School District, California, USA
Client: SFUSD
Landscape architect: Bay Tree Design
Application: School

The San Francisco Unified School District supports around 50,000 students each year across more than 120 schools. As learning environments continue to evolve, there has been an increased focus on using outdoor spaces to provide additional areas for teaching, interaction and activities.

The redesigned outdoor areas accommodate a wide range of uses—from gardening programmes and hands‑on learning to everyday student gathering and social spaces.Across these areas, elements from Vestre’s collections, including BLOC, STOOP, STRIPES, VIA and HABITATS, are in use. They structure the spaces and support a variety of outdoor activities. Their adaptability allows the spaces to be used flexibly and adjusted as needs change.