Joseph Estabrook Elementary School was part of the Lexington School Master Plan, which addressed the town’s existing and under-performing educational facilities. The plan proposed to renovate and construct new schools to better serve the student population. As the initial school built in the master plan, the schools’ overall site plan buffered the nearby residential neighborhoods, mitigated impacts on the abutting conservation land, and provided a circulation strategy which separated parking and drop off from all recreational and learning spaces.

The play environment was specifically designed to engage students through the promotion of healthy lifestyles and educational opportunities. An array of netted play structures provide physically challenging experiences and vibrant surfaces host typical school yard activities like basketball and four square. Student gardens and a classroom amphitheater anchor the outdoor spaces and celebrate the importance of education. Boulder lined stream beds and a native planting palette meander through the site and collect all building and surface storm water.