MNLA prepared a ten year comprehensive landscape plan for the Middle and Upper Divisions of the Horace Mann School, a coeducational, independent school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. Approximately 1200 students are enrolled at the 18-acre Middle and Upper Division campus which is located amid bedrock outcrops and forested slopes overlooking Van Cortland Park.
The Landscape Master Plan addresses both the spirit of the place and its ongoing needs as a thriving, active educational community. The planning process began with a robust evaluation phase that identified and mapped nine key landscape components (program, topography, circulation, hardscapes, walls and fences, landscapes, trees, athletics and furnishings) and outlined issues andgoals for each component. The goals were developed in close coordination with the Head of School and Director of Facilities Management.
The final Master Plan is a living document, providing information, guidelines and design recommendations that will be used to create a landscape that is memorable and welcoming for generations to come. The plan proposes eight specific campus design projects, outlines a campus-wide materials palette, and provides planting strategies and a representative plant palette for individual planting zones, all responding to the aesthetic and functional qualities of those spaces. Seasonality, visual interest, a cohesive color palette, and long-term maintenance are key components of the landscape recommendations.