PERG is a school in a park, a park school, a tree school. Students spend most of the day inside the school building, so how the outdoor space affects them once they are inside, is also very important. Soothing tree trunks, light and the life within them frames the interior of the school. The school with the outside space is a small model of living, where the systems support the inhabitants within and the inhabitants in turn contribute to the functioning of the systems, while positively influencing the outside spaces.

The landscaping concept reflects the values and needs of an environmentally-oriented secondary school. The key elements of the design are the preservation of existing greenery, 
 enhancement of biodiversity and the addition of tall greenery. A network of regularly planted
 Scots pine trees provides structure to the outdoor green space, interrupted in places to
 accommodate necessary functions and activities. The resulting open spaces allow access to
 light and views. Elsewhere, the flattened or sculpted trunks of the Scots pine leave ample
 space on the ground, and over time the canopies form a fairly semi-enclosed ‘ceiling’ in the
 courtyard space.

Existing valuable trees, bushes and plant communities in the schoolyard have been
 preserved as much as possible. The groups of trees in front of the main entrance and on the
 southern side of the courtyard link the new and the old part of the outdoor space and give it a
 strong vertical dimension. The group of pioneer trees outside the active courtyard zone was
 interfered with as much as necessary to ensure a safe and well-lit environment.

At the edge of the sports area, two groups of parkland trees will enliven the overall greenery
 with their sprouts, flowering and autumn colour. In addition, a row of conifers has been
 planted along the western edge of the plot to consolidate the buffer vegetation between the
 school and the apartment buildings.

The new plant communities network is based on supplementing an existing community with a
 relatively poor species prevalence. The starting point for the selection of plants was the 
 species of the swamped habitat type suitable for the existing growing conditions. Species 
 typical of the marshy meadow community were used. Additional shrubs have been planted to 
 direct views and create spatial separation. Species were chosen to ensure that the plants are 
 fertile and the fruits edible. In addition to the vegetable gardens, greenhouses have been built 
 for the students to grow their own plants and also to have cosy peaceful spaces to sit and 
 chat among plants.

For pupils, the school’s outdoor space is inviting to move actively. A variety of opportunities 
 have been created for different types of exercise – swings, ball courts, weight machines, 
 running tracks. In addition to the pupils, all the sports facilities are also available to the 
 surrounding residents – the schoolyard is a public area. This also ensures that there is activity 
 in the schoolyard throughout the day, which maintains a natural sense of social control and 
 provides a sense of security.

• Other landscape architecture offices involved in the design of the landscape:
Kino maastikuarhitektid

• Architecture offices involved in the design:
Arhitekt Must

• Other credits:
Client: Riigi Kinnisvara AS