Natural Play Design Firm
At Learning Landscapes Design, we believe outdoor environments should do more than provide a place to play. They should inspire curiosity, strengthen communities, support learning, and connect children with nature.
We are a women-owned landscape architecture and playground design firm specializing in nature playscapes, outdoor learning environments, inclusive playgrounds, and sustainable schoolyard design. Our work combines evidence-based child development, thoughtful landscape architecture, and practical implementation strategies to create outdoor spaces that children, educators, and communities love.
Every project is rooted in the belief that play is essential to healthy childhood development. Research continues to show that self-directed outdoor play supports cognitive growth, problem-solving, creativity, social-emotional development, resilience, and physical health. We design environments where children can experience the joy, wonder, and freedom that come from meaningful interaction with the natural world.
We create places that inspire children, communities, and learning.
Community-Driven Nature Playscape Design
No two communities are the same, and no two playscapes should be either.
Every Learning Landscapes Design project begins by listening. Through collaborative workshops, community engagement, and user-centered design, we uncover what makes each place unique. The result is a custom nature playscape that reflects the values, culture, educational goals, and environmental character of the community it serves.
Our interdisciplinary team of licensed landscape architects, Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSIs), educators, and nature play specialists works together to balance creativity, safety, accessibility, sustainability, and long-term durability.
We we design spaces that are imaginative, inclusive, and built to last!
Experienced Nature Play Design That Makes Your Budget Go Further
Because we specialize in nature-based playgrounds and outdoor learning environments, we don’t start from scratch on every project. We bring years of experience with playground design, construction, safety requirements, materials, maintenance, and installation to each new site. That experience allows us to work efficiently and keep our design fees reasonable.
Investing in professional playground and landscape design upfront can also reduce costs during construction and over the life of the project. Thoughtful planning helps avoid expensive changes, coordinate contractors, select durable materials, address safety and accessibility requirements, and reduce long-term maintenance.
Our goal is not to make a project more expensive—it is to help you spend your budget in the places that will have the greatest impact.
We specialize in developing designs that create the framework for planning, grant-ready master plans and phased implementation strategies that allow organizations to improve their outdoor spaces over time. By prioritizing projects and identifying logical construction phases, we help clients maximize available funding while creating a clear roadmap for future growth.
We build and plan for exceptional outdoor environments within realistic budgets.
Our Client Hire us Because of Our Experience
Designing meaningful outdoor spaces takes more than creativity. It takes experience.
Since 2012, we have been testing ideas in the field, learning from children, collaborating with educators, and continually refining our work. We’ve installed countless natural play features, evaluated water play systems, experimented with loose parts, and returned years later to see how spaces evolve over time.
Every project expands our understanding of how children play, learn, and connect with nature, making each new design stronger than the last.
Our Impact
Since 2012, Learning Landscapes Design has helped schools, parks, nonprofits, and communities create inspiring outdoor environments throughout North America.
Our experience includes:
- 200+ completed nature play and learning projects serving schools, parks, and communities
- Projects across 19 U.S. states including California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Idaho, Utah, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Alaska.
- Work in multiple countries US, Guatemala, Ukraine, and Singapore
- Thousands of children benefiting from thoughtfully designed outdoor learning and play environments every day!
Our unique knowledge:
- Licensed landscape architects that can produce construction drawings, work with engineers, get permits, and lead bidding and construction processes.
- Unique knowledge to design natural play areas that address ASTM safety guidelines, local codes, and licensing requirements.
- We design hand and hand with students and communities.
- Learning Landscapes Design has developed a management and maintenance document for continued success of your play and learning environments.
- All of that for reasonable, often under market, and up front fees.
We use real-world lessons to create outdoor spaces that thrive for years to come.
Our Expertise
Our specialized services include:
- Nature playscape design
- Inclusive and universally accessible playground design
- Outdoor classrooms and learning environment design
- Sustainable / Green schoolyard design
- Park and recreation planning
- Alternative play that meets national playground safety standards
- STEM-rich outdoor learning environments
- Natural playground renovations
- Construction detailing for natural playgrounds
- Multi-generational parks and exploration spaces
- Loose parts play environments
- Adventure and risk-balanced play
- Campus and park master planning
- Designing spaces with the community /students
- Safety in natural playground design
- Maintenance of natural playgrounds
Who We Work With
We partner with organizations that believe outdoor environments can transform play and learning including:
- Public school districts
- Private and independent schools
- Montessori schools
- Preschools and Early Childhood Centers
- Colleges and universities
- Parks and recreation departments
- Nature centers and environmental organizations
- Churches and faith-based organizations
- Nonprofit organizations
- Municipalities
- Developers and community organizations
Michelle Mathis
Principal Designer
Michelle Mathis is a landscape architect and founder of Learning Landscapes Design. Sustainable places for learning, play and recreation have been her focus for over fifteen years. She has in depth project experience from community involvement to construction observation for early childhood, parks, schools and other family destination projects. Her Master’s Degree in Education with a focus on whole systems design for education, is coupled with her strong design sense to create spaces that are engaging and intrinsically support learning. Most recently Michelle has focused her design work on nature based play areas for parks, educational facilities, and schools.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES AND AFFILIATIONS
- Licensed Landscape Architect
- Masters in Education
- Certified Playground Safety Inspector – National Parks and Recreation Association
- Founder and Member of Oregon Natural Play Initiative – Oregon Recreation and Parks Association
- Steering Committee Member – National Wildlife Federation’s National Guidelines for Play and Learning
Kerry White
Project Manager
Landscape Architect
Kerry White is a landscape architect with 16 years of experience designing a wide range of projects throughout the US. As the head of our Milwaukie office, she manages small and large scale projects from concept to construction documentation and implementation. She has years of experience designing, detailing, and coordinating natural log climbing structures, hands on play areas, and stormwater facilities. Her focus is on urban design, playscape design, and site planning projects that promote education and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Kerry grew up in central Illinois and Wisconsin. Her interest in nature play design evolved from her own childhood environment, where she was surrounded by nature from a very young age. She has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she found her true passion for playscape design while volunteering in playground construction and early education design workshops.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES AND AFFILIATIONS
- Licensed Landscape Architect
- Certified Playground Safety Inspector
Nicole Schneider
Project Designer
Nicole Schneider is a landscape architect with 6 years of design experience working with a variety of projects both locally and abroad. She has experience in designing both large and small scale projects that range from neighborhood masterplans and streetscapes to small custom-designed playscapes and custom structures. Her experience includes orchestrating how a project comes to life from client consultation, conceptual design, design development, construction documentation, construction bidding, and assisting directing
She always loved the outdoors and, as a girl, enjoyed exploring the woods and creek behind her house which provided adventures in creative free play.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES AND AFFILIATIONS
- Licensed Landscape Architect in the State of Wisconsin
- Master’s of Landscape Architecture from the University of British Columbia
- Bachelor’s of Science in Architecture from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- Member of Women in Design MKE
Siobhan Hussey
Landscape Architect
Project Manager
Siobhan is a professional landscape architect with over 10 years of experience working on projects of varying scales, from master-planning transit-oriented communities in the San Francisco Bay Area to public parks and childcare centers. She has led community workshops, creating multiple concept iterations for client review, refining drawings through construction detailing and documentation, as well as design-build and conflict resolve experience in construction observation.
Siobhan’s primary goal is to facilitate a connection to nature and genius loci, also known as spirit of place, through intentionally designed spaces and nature-based play environments. She specializes in concept development and engaging with communities through workshops and a collaborative based design process.
While not at her desk, she enjoys spending time outdoors, creating art, as well as visiting local art galleries.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES AND AFFILIATIONS
- Professional Landscape Architect (PLA) – CA #6708
- ReScape Qualified Professional, Firescaping
- Permaculture Design Certificate – Urban Permaculture Institute, SF
- LEED Green Associate, USGBC
Lorraine Bamford
Project Designer
Lorraine Bamford is a landscape designer with five years of experience working on a wide variety of projects throughout Oregon and beyond. From schoolyard, park and stormwater design to system-wide parks planning, she has honed her skills in creating thoughtful and functional outdoor spaces that serve diverse community needs. She has led community events and loves having the opportunity to collaborate with community members. Her GIS and graphic skills have helped various government agencies visualize complex data, develop plans, and effectively communicate project goals to stakeholders and the public.
Lorraine was born and raised in Hong Kong, but her interest in landscape architecture grew when she came to study in the U.S. With her unique cultural background, she loves incorporating diverse perspectives into her designs.
During her free time, she loves going to the playground with her 4-year-old son, who continuously inspires her in creating better play experiences through her designs.
Education
• Bachelor’s of Science in Recreation Resource Management from Oregon State University
• Master’s of Landscape Architecture from University of Oregon
Connie Migliazzo
Technical Review
Connie is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She is licensed as a landscape architect in California and Oregon. Her interest in the natural world led her to become an Oregon Master Naturalist. Her passion for plants, water conservation and materials deeply enriches our team. Connie is part of our technical review process to ensure accuracy in our construction drawings.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES AND AFFILIATIONS
- University of Virginia
- Harvard Graduate School of Design
- Leads the Pacific Design Collective and Prato.la
Supporting Emotional Well Being Through Play
Play offers a space for kids to work with and relate to one another. They move from isolated play, to parallel play, to simple games together, to more complex games with rules. Providing places for this to unfold supports emotional and social well being.
Loose Parts Support STEM Play
Loose parts offer opportunities for kids to be in charge of their environment. They spark creativity, social interactions, and exploration play. Movable pieces of all sizes increase play value tremendously. Kids are naturally scientists. By providing an environment that is student led and full of opportunities for exploration, kids are naturally led to guess, test, rework and explore.
Exposure to Nature Through Natural Playgrounds
We must offer kids exposure to nature before they can learn to care for their environment. Nature connection offers numerous physical, emotional and health benefits. And it’s fun!
Child Directed Play & Flow State
You see flow state when you look up from your work and can’t remember how so much time has passed. It happens when you are fully engrossed in work that you care about and is meaningful to you. If we can provide settings that get kids into their flow state we can see amazing brain growth.
Inclusive Design Builds Stronger Communities
Design should consider users of all abilities. Not as an afterthought, but as a core value. Our inclusive design approach goes beyond the basics of ADA. We seek to find design solutions that offer interactive play opportunities between all children.
Developing Risk Assessment Skills Through Play
Play is a place where kids can test and expand their boundaries in a controlled environment. They can learn how to take a risk and grown their physical and mental capacities.
Inclusive Play
Playgrounds must offer spaces where all kids can engage in something of their choosing that they find interesting. Kids of all ability need to be able to find fun challenges and engage with peers. All of our projects aim for universal accessibility.
Sustainable Design
We have a sustainability filter that we use on every project. We want these play and learning space to raise kids up through education and growth. Our designs aim to make the environment better, improve resource flows (food, water, energy), use natural materials and consider life cycle impacts.
Cradle to Cradle
Our designs use natural materials in a maintainable way. A solid sub structure allows for the continued use and replacement of natural materials that have a limited life cycle. Today’s children will inherent the planet and culture that we leave for them. We don’t want them to be saddled with ‘disposal’ of their childhood playgrounds.
