FLAGG Design Studio designed the 12,700 sq. ft. deck pro bono at Dale Duke Regan Plaza at the Great Oak in Jacksonville, Fla., in honor of Ms. Dale Regan, Head of Episcopal School in Jacksonville. The deck offers seating and views from all angles of the enormous oak, is fully handicap accessible and used for assemblies. The elevated deck protects the tree's roots, and drip irrigation keeps the venerable tree hydrated.

In 1984, Christopher Flagg, FASLA, initiated a design association with Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Fla., a college preparatory school for grades 6-12 along the banks of the St. John's River, as its campus master planner and landscape architect. This almost 30-year collaboration developed endearing relationships with staff at all levels and has become an invaluable resource for the school's continued success.

On March 6, 2012, a recently fired teacher entered the office of Ms. Dale Regan, head of school, with an assault rifle and opened fire, killing Ms. Regan, 63, then committed suicide. Jacksonville lost a beloved leader, unmatched as a person of commitment, passion and love for her school and her community.

Through the years, Regan and Flagg had become stewards of sustainable expansion through numerous small and large scale campus development projects.

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The final design of Dale Duke Regan Plaza at the Great Oak in Jacksonville, Fla. is reflective of the organic nature of the tree's overall form. It offers contemplative and gathering space within its understory.

Their professional acquaintance became a mutual friendship. Reacting to this horrific tragedy, Flagg approached the school's executive board and offered pro bono design services for a plaza in her honor, within the understory of the campus's most revered live oak tree, which was her most treasured place on campus. Centuries old, with its majestic limbs spanning hundreds of feet across, she and Flagg would often discuss ways to create a special place for all to enjoy within its expansive canopy, as well as for the protection of the great oak's root structure and understory. Despite the size of the deck, no root damage was done, as all structural support and framing were above ground, strategically field located for minimal impact. Drip irrigation was provided beneath the deck along with organic soils to reverse the years of root compaction due to student foot traffic.

This now has become the preeminent location on campus for community and school gatherings. Flagg was able to articulate and celebrate Regan's spirit and vision. The plaza helped to preserve her memory and assist the community, the school and her family with an opportunity to move forward and begin to recover from a devastating loss.