Rosan Bosch Studio has designed a new nature-based campus and learning environment for The Garzón School in Uruguay. The school is nestled within a dense eucalyptus forest, fostering a unique connection with nature.
The vast and untamed environment of The Garzón School is intertwined with the school’s identity. In collaboration with the school community, Rosan Bosch Studio has developed a design concept where learning seamlessly happens indoor and outdoor. The new learning landscape nurtures innate curiosity and encourages exploration, play, and self-expression.
Rosan Bosch Studio has developed the masterplan, landscape design, architecture, and interior design. The innovative concept design applies biophilic design principles to create a nature-connected campus where learning extends beyond traditional boundaries.
Nature is not merely a supplement to learning but the classroom itself. Here, students take charge of their education through a curriculum based on experimentation and inquiry. Nature is not only a supplement to learning, but a teacher itself.
Rosan Bosch Studio's concept design centers on a differentiated learning landscape with six different learning zones based on six design principles: Mountain Top, Cave, Campfire, Watering Hole, Hands-on, and Movement.
These zones support varied learning modalities and offer meaningful choices, fostering autonomy and agency. Guided by inclusion professionals and educators, the students are encouraged to venture off on their own unique journey of discovery that goes far beyond traditional school models.
The School is the Park, and the Park is the School
The nature-based campus combines differentiated learning spaces, designed to support different learning styles, with a deep connection to nature. It provides students with an environment where creativity, curiosity, and collaboration thrive, fostering authentic learning experiences that prepare future change-makers.
Here, “the school is the park, and the park is the school,” with all spaces integrated into a fluid interplay between inside and outside environments.
Following a winding path through a meadow and around a lake, one reaches the “village” of The Garzón School, nestled in a dense eucalyptus forest. This is where each student’s learning journey begins, expanding outward as autonomy and awareness grow. With its meandering streams and promises of adventure, this boundless park becomes fertile ground for imagination and exploration.
Nature-Connected Learning
Nature guides the architectural premise and the choice of materials, which are locally sourced, sustainable, and carefully selected to blend with the surroundings. Subtle colors, natural light, and stimulating textures combine in a design that promotes well-being and strengthens teacher-student relationships.
The landscape design around the village is key in defining areas that generate identity and a sense of belonging among students, as well as in creating spaces for gathering and play. Two brick plazas evoke vernacular Uruguayan architecture, while native vegetation and playful wooden elements enrich the natural setting. These blend harmoniously with the sustainable buildings, which are made entirely of wood and clad using a traditional Japanese charring technique (Shou Sugi Ban), giving them durability, character, and a strong bond with the surrounding landscape.
The Garzón School manifests a transformative educational model that serves as a benchmark for Latin America, demonstrating how thoughtful integration of architecture, nature, and pedagogy can create spaces where learning flourishes naturally and students develop into confident, capable change-makers ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
Rosan Bosch Studio is currently designing the next phase of the campus — a secondary school that expands the learning landscape and continues the seamless integration of nature, architecture, and inquiry-based education.
