Students playing in Park’s “backyard.”
Kimberly Boyd, Park’s Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations, met with Kaki Martin, Park’s Landscape Architect, to discuss her experience and her leadership of The SPARK Campaign’s largest and final projects: redirecting traffic flow on campus and reimagining Park’s backyard.
Kimberly Boyd (KB): Could you introduce yourself to the Park community and talk about the work you do?
Kaki Martin (KM): I’m a landscape architect and a partner at Klopfer Martin Design Group. We started the firm 18 years ago, and our team focuses specifically on community spaces. We’ve worked on public parks, as well as campus environments of all sizes and for students of all ages. We love creating places where communities can come together, and we can amplify a campus’s natural assets, bringing together the natural, environmental, social, and playful elements of a space.
KB: One thing that stood out to Park’s Buildings & Grounds Committee – which ultimately selected your firm for this project – was that intersection of the work you do with educational spaces and parks and playgrounds. You’ve done a lot of relevant work here in Brookline, can you share a bit about that?
KM: Yes, one of our largest projects in Brookline is Fisher Hill Reservoir Park, a 10-acre, decommissioned reservoir that had sat fallow and become a wetland. We had the opportunity to work with the Town of Brookline to reimagine it for future generations and transform it into a space for all residents, which was incredibly rewarding. We incorporated strong ecological elements, including a fully native plant palette, a healthy woodland restored from scratch, and a wet meadow designed to absorb stormwater. Despite significant topography changes, the park is fully accessible and designed for all mobilities and ages.
KB: You and I have talked a lot about sustainability at Park and more broadly. Could you talk a bit about how you and your firm approach sustainability for a project like this?
KM: Projects like this are exciting because we can move beyond basic permitting requirements and create opportunities for learning by making sustainability visible. Park’s campus offers a rich range of existing ecologies, from high, dry rocky areas to low, wet spaces like the pond, and we’re excited to build on that. In particular, stormwater management presents a great opportunity. We hope to create spaces where teachers and students can engage directly with the landscape, observing, for example, plants that thrive in wet conditions and understanding how the system responds after a storm.
KB: You worked with Park in 2023 to complete the first phase of this work to reimagine Park’s traffic flow and backyard. Can you share with the community where we are now – what’s been completed and what’s ahead in this next phase of The SPARK Campaign?
KM: The first part of this project was focused on looking at the bigger picture. We knew carpool was a challenge of the current system, and we were charged with finding a way to improve it. To do that, we collaborated with a team of consultants, which in this case involved VHB. They are traffic and civil engineers with expertise in navigating school campus pickup and drop-off solutions. Together with your team at Park, we studied arrival and dismissal patterns, including how athletics and after-school activities impact traffic flow. At that stage, we had initial ideas on how things might look and feel and produced early concepts and renderings that illustrated potential solutions.
Now, we’re moving into the next phase, where we’ll refine those ideas and get into the details. We’re excited to dive into choices around surface materials, spatial layouts, trees, stormwater strategies, and seasonal planting considerations. We’re building on the initial planning and translating it into a clear, detailed design.
KB: You and I have talked a lot about the concept of Park’s backyard, and you recently met with the School’s Buildings & Grounds Committee to kick off this work. What feels most exciting to you about this aspect of the project?
KM: Coming to Park and being on campus is such a unique experience. It’s already a special place as is. We’re excited to enhance how students and the community experience the natural landscape that already exists. We’re exploring ways to make it even more engaging, potentially incorporating play elements that are rooted in both natural systems and traditional play. I’m especially excited about how those elements can come together on this campus.
KB: I agree with that. It’s clear from the portfolio you’ve shown – whether schools or colleges – that everything from pathways to play spaces to plantings works in harmony. It’s remarkable.
KM: Thank you. Park is a remarkable place with a strong sense of community, and that’s what has stood out most. The Park spirit really comes through in every conversation. The level of engagement and thoughtfulness has made this a truly rewarding experience for my team and me.
KB: This is a big project and it’s going to take a great deal of partnership to accomplish it. Can you talk a little bit about the various experts we will be working with to ensure that it’s as successful as possible?
KM: It takes a village for sure. In addition to our partnership with VHB for traffic and civil engineering, a geotechnical engineer will play a key role. Much of Brookline, and Boston more broadly, sits on ledge and Puddingstone – something very visible on Park’s campus! Geotechnical engineers will conduct test pits to understand subsurface conditions and ensure proper stormwater management, especially in parking areas. If larger infrastructure is needed, they help design stable and sound foundations for these elements. We’ll also bring in a consulting arborist to support compliance with Brookline’s tree canopy ordinance, which reflects the importance of preserving and strengthening tree cover in the community. Additionally, we’re considering working with a regional forester to thoughtfully manage undergrowth without harming existing trees. We are also excited to talk with experts who have been engaged on Park’s campus in the past including Mitch Ryerson, who built the amazing structure on the Kindergarten Discovery Playground.
KB: What are some ways you engage communities to ensure their voices are reflected in the design of outdoor spaces?
KM: We had a strong process at Park in 2023 that you and I co-developed, and it’s always important to tailor engagement to each unique community. Involving students, alongside parents and faculty, is essential. We want them to have a voice in this project. Overall, a hybrid approach tends to work well, combining in-person and virtual opportunities, along with asynchronous options like surveys to gather broader input. We want to craft a process that feels right, and with the high level of community engagement at Park, being on campus will be especially important. I’m looking forward to shaping that process for this next phase.
KB: What are some outdoor spaces you personally love to be in?
KM: I will say, I do love going to Fisher Hill! It’s always valuable to return to our work to see if our designs and ideas hold up over time. I also really love going to any of the Mass Audubon properties and trails to spend time in nature and step away from the city.