Durango Early Learning Center: Design Phase
Durango Early Learning Center
Durango, Colorado
Year
2026: Design Phase
Age Group
Toddler & Preschool
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Nestled within one of Southwest Colorado’s historic residential neighborhoods, Durango Early Learning Center, in Durango, Colorado, is reimagining its outdoor environment through a design that embraces nature, sensory engagement, and child led play.
Serving toddlers and preschool aged children, the school sought to move away from an outdoor space dominated by aging steel play structures and artificial turf. Their vision was clear: create an environment that reflects the values of early childhood education while fostering meaningful connections to the natural world.
Respecting the Site’s Natural Assets
One of the most significant opportunities within the project is the preservation and enhancement of the site’s mature tree canopy. Existing ash trees provide valuable shade and character, and the design carefully protects these established trees while improving conditions around their root systems through the removal of artificial turf.
Recognizing the challenges posed by Emerald Ash Borer, the design also incorporates succession planting strategies to ensure future generations of trees can continue to provide shade, beauty, and ecological value for years to come.
Thoughtful Design for a Compact Urban Setting
Located within a former residential property in one of Durango’s Historic Residential Districts, the site presents unique design opportunities and constraints. Limited space required careful planning to ensure every area supports meaningful play experiences while maintaining a sense of openness and discovery. The playground design uses nature play components, a sand area, varied topography, and integrated play opportunities to maximize the site’s potential.
At the heart of the design is a shared sand & water play environment that serves both the toddler and preschool spaces.
A transparent panel incorporated into the dividing fence will allow children of different age groups, including siblings, to see and interact with one another while maintaining age appropriate play environments. Nearby, a double sided chalkboard encourages creativity, communication, and collaborative play.
The shared sand area is envisioned as a hub for sensory exploration, fine motor development, imaginative nature play, and social connection.
Nature Based Play for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Within the toddler area, climbing opportunities are integrated into the landscape through natural elements and thoughtfully designed log border features. Nestled beneath the existing tree canopy, the space is designed to support exploration, movement, and sensory engagement while maintaining a scale appropriate for younger children.
On the preschool side, the design incorporates an amorphous log climber alongside locally sourced boulders, creating opportunities for balancing, climbing, gathering, and imaginative play. One staff member has even offered boulders from their ranch outside Durango, adding a meaningful local connection to the project.
A key focus of the design is creating an environment that can evolve with children’s interests and ideas. Loose parts, natural materials, and open ended play opportunities will allow children to shape their own experiences, ensuring the space offers something different each day.
The school was particularly inspired by the possibilities that simple, flexible environments can provide, recognizing that some of the richest play experiences emerge when children are given the freedom to create, experiment, and imagine.
Building on Existing Strengths
The design also preserves and celebrates the school’s existing raised garden beds, recognizing their importance within the outdoor environment. By incorporating these established features into the overall plan, the project builds upon the strengths already present on site while introducing new opportunities for play and learning.
The partnership between Durango Early Learning Center and Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds began through a shared passion for loose parts, child led play, and meaningful outdoor experiences. The collaboration quickly evolved into a vision for a nature based play environment uniquely suited to the school and its community.
Currently in the design phase, the project reflects a thoughtful balance between site stewardship, child development, and creative play, laying the foundation for an outdoor environment that will serve children and families for years to come.
