Carroll Gordon was the Landscape Architect responsible for the site design of the award winning Summerfield Elementary School.  The school is a 550-student pre-K through 5 facility adjacent to a Green Acres park, with woods and a stream. 

The school was designed to be interactive with the natural setting, and currently is a destination for intra-district field trips. It also hosts SummerWood, a joint Environmental and sustainable outdoor learning laboratory venture with NJ Department of Environmental Office of Green Acres, the Neptune Twp. Board of ED and the Twp. of Neptune.

The landscape design is part of the practical stormwater control system as well as being an educational and visual amenity.  Student gardens are watered by captured rainwater.  Native and drought tolerant plants are used throughout the site. 

A large bioretention basin creates a native wetland with plants that have multi-season interest:  spring and summer flowers, fall color, and winter berries.  All plantings have the additional constraint of being non-toxic to children, with no thorns.  The pavements and site furniture follow the colonial farm theme of the entire school. 

In 2007, the U.S. Green Building Council awarded LEED gold certification to the project.