Duviviver Architects converted an asphalt campus into a magic garden filled with native plants and wildlife for this French immersion preschool in Venice. The school is located on the former site of the Lutheran school. While the school is not affiliated with the adjacent church, the architecture of the garden supports the classical California mission style of the school architecture itself. The center of the garden is a fountain, symmetrically positioned in alignment with the bell tower and surrounded by 4 stately California Island oaks. (Quercus tomentella) The gurgling fountain allows children to safely play with water, provides a water source for insects and birds, and helps buffer the noise from Venice Boulevard. 

Ecole Claire Fontaine (ECF) is a certified Wildlife Habitat. The native plant palette: 3 types of oak trees, Catalina ironwood, toyon, and many native perennials, supports native insects and birds and provides the students an endless learning opportunities. 

The new garden is a reflection of the school ethos, as written by the director of the school, "The curriculum links to the seasons, resulting in further connection of the children to the environment. The intersection of art with nature is a core part of the school. Climate Change and Climate Science, Cosmology, Gardening and Oceanography have been part of the curriculum, with awareness of nature an intrinsic ingredient in the lives of the children. The pedagogy of Ecole Claire Fontaine is ensconcing the children in the beauty and importance of the elements of nature, and their remarkable place among it all. Exploring, imagining and playing in the gardens is a part of every child’s day. In ECF’s gardens, surrounded by leaves, seeds that are planted firmly in the ground blossom into flowers with faces as varied as our children."