Designing Schoolyards as Connected Systems:
Integrating Thermal Comfort, Health and Well-Being, Learning, and Environmental Performance at Rice Elementary
Garo Manjikian
SCASLA Achievement Award
The judges highlighted the project’s strong research and analysis, with clear concepts and diagrams that were easy to understand. The evocative “Woven Basket” theme and precedent images brought a strong sense of place, while creative ideas like the tower walk stood out, even if they felt grand in scale. The sections and visuals were compelling, and the narrative showed thoughtful intent. Overall, a beautifully presented project with strong vision and creativity.
This project explores how schoolyards can better support thermal comfort, student health and well-being, learning, and environmental performance. By rethinking the role of choolyards beyond their conventional functions, the project considers how outdoor environments can be designed to simultaneously support these interconnected needs in ways that benefit students, schools, and the broader community.
About
Garo Manjikian
Garo Manjikian is a Southern California native whose connection to plants and landscapes began in his Armenian American family and in the garden of his grandfather, a lifelong gardener. Before pursuing landscape architecture, Garo built a career in public policy and advocacy, working on environmental, transportation, human rights, and community issues at the local, state, and national levels.
Garo’s interest in landscape architecture grew from a desire to combine his commitment to sustainability and public service with a lifelong connection to nature and a more creative approach to shaping the built environment. He is particularly interested in strengthening the relationship between people and nature and creating landscapes that foster connection, discovery, play, and joy while responding thoughtfully to the history and ecology of a place.