Deerfield Academy Scaife-Mather Courtyard
Landscape Design

Deerfield, Massachusetts
1993

Scaife and Mather dormitories are grand Colonial houses set within an historic district. A narrow asphalt walk and several beaten paths used to link the buildings to each other and to Main Street. DDA’s design for the dormitories’ environs creates a shared outdoor gathering space and channels foot traffic to one broad tree-lined walk. The new wooden fence between the buildings prevents cut-throughs, defines the “outdoor room” and expresses historical context in keeping with other homes along the street. The courtyard is finished with pavers, teak furnishings, a rack for student’s bikes and a mixed perennial border.