We went for a little walk on Saturday morning. I wanted to explore a park and an old school in Winnetka. The school is called the Crow Island School and it's just few minutes drive from our house. It was opened in 1940/41 and it's significant because it grew out of a new progressive style of education.
Things like wide hallways, flexible spaces within classrooms and each classroom having access to the surrounding gardens were brand new ideas meant to fulfill the child centered education style.
Chicago architects Perkins, Wheeler and Will and Finnish modernists Eliel and Eero Saarinen were responsible for the design. The building has an interesting footprint because the classrooms jut out into the garden. And it has playful details like sculptures by Lilian Saarinen that are embedded in it's brick.
The link above has some charming photos of when the school was new. What a wonderful spot – an inspirational treasure!
And then we went for our little walk at the park next door. I find it sort of laughable (and sad) that the nature we find near us is in such tiny pockets compared to the vast mountains and Swiss path system that I'm used to lately. I mean this was a lovely park with big oak trees and lots of birds flitting around but it was TINY(!).
Oh well, I got excited about the big beautiful Midwest style plants – prairie plants. So it was a good morning.
Laowai 
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