Life at MCDS is close to nature; the entire campus is located within its own watershed. Students walk outside from building to building and the school’s iconic image is a pair of colorful galoshes kindergartners use to tromp through the stream that runs alongside the campus. The new buildings, inseparable from their landscape, hold close to these campus traditions. The library and classrooms are integrally connected to outdoor learning spaces and fit within the existing campus footprint to preserve natural surroundings. The courtyards, including the terraced Step-Up courtyard, bring this landscape into the heart of the campus. A restored stream returns the east edge of the campus to a more natural state.
