In Ichishkiin language, the nameplace for Madras is Tnáni (rimrock), connecting the town to its distinctive geological formations–sedimentary rock and basalt plateaus formed over millions of years by the flow of the Deschutes River and its many tributaries. As you approach Madras from the Warm Springs Reservation along Highway 26, these winding, looming formations and the distant peaks of the Cascade Range hold importance in the landscape of sagebrush and agricultural fields. Madras was selected for the Oregon Rural Community Schoolyards program for its diverse community, socio-economic need, environmental risk, and public health disparity, as well as its outdated play equipment. 

Through a participatory engagement and design process with parents, students and stakeholders, we heard clear community priorities: the desire to integrate nature into everyday life, the need for a diversity of play that embraces universal design and inclusivity, and the potential to bridge across cultures and connect Madras. In the proposed design, trees and plants reflective of the native landscape will shade play spaces, educate kids on their surroundings, and provide a calming environment for learning and respite. The play equipment will provide space for all abilities, interests, and imaginations to thrive. The project celebrates the people of Madras, past, present and future, through art, play, and educational signage to showcase the uniqueness of Madras. By taking inspiration from the tnáni landscape and the diversity of Madras, we look to craft a new topography that embraces the schoolyard space as a fun, safe haven, as communal, and as a place special to Madras.