Case Study: Taking Global Education to the Playground

Posted on March 3, 2016 by PlayLSI

Client: Lausanne Collegiate School, Memphis, Tenn.

Designers: Jonah Scholen, Landscape Structures custom playground designer

Goal: Demonstrate the school’s global brand and represent the internationally diverse population—30 percent of students and/or parents represent 54 different countries

Solution: Lausanne collaborated with their local playground consultant, Recreational Concepts, and Jonah to create a world-themed design. The playground includes 14 different playstructures that represent a tour of the world on safety surfacing designed to mimic a world map. The playground includes the ZipKrooz™, which takes students from the Horn of Africa to Australia. Plus, climbable replicas of Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal provide opportunities for kids to interact, engage in imaginative play and discover the world beyond them while staying active.

Read more about how the playground at Lausanne Collegiate School has become a space to play and learn.

You can do custom.

Posted on December 3, 2015 by PlayLSI

Get inspiration for your next playground project with our 2016 PLAY Book! In the nearly 50-page book, you’ll see real-life projects from around the world. From a Wizard of Oz-themed play space to a playground that mimics the map of the world, nature-inspired playstructures and uniquely designed playgrounds set in one-of-a-kind environments, you’ll be inspired to create a playground design that fits your community.

Custom can do anything you want it to. When you pair up with our designers, artists, sculptors and engineers, you’ll discover how custom can take you from apples to oranges, grand overtures to singular accents, stupendous statements to subtle surprises. You can do custom.

Browse the 2016 PLAY Book or request a copy be mailed to you to learn how we’ll collaborate with you to create signature gathering spaces that your entire community will enjoy.

Dynamic nets win Best Visual Appeal in Boston

Posted on November 19, 2013 by PlayLSI

Last weekend, we were in Boston, Mass., to participate in the 2013 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Annual Meeting & Expo. The theme of our booth this year was “We believe parks make communities great,” and it featured our newest playground innovation, GeoNetrix.

Visitors to our booth were able to get a first look at the iconic playstructure. The dynamic nets, contemporary towers and colored, translucent polycarbonate roofs of GeoNetrix enticed attendees to stop by for a play break and test the new playground innovation. Landscape architects were so captivated by the structure that they voted our booth Best Visual Appeal.

In addition to our booth, we were proud to sponsor the Opening General Session speaker, Jack Dangermond, founder of Esri, who spoke about geodesign and the emerging GIS platform. We also sponsored the ASLA/Landscape Structures Gala at the Boston Children’s Museum, which offered hands-on activities, farm-to-table dining and dancing.

We had a great time in Boston visiting with landscape architects, hearing from industry experts and taking in the nearby attractions. Our employees and playground consultants are already looking forward to 2014 ASLA in Denver, Colo.!

Show your school spirit… on the playground

Posted on September 11, 2013 by PlayLSI

Personalization adds a unique element to playgrounds, and it also lets you show your school spirit! Versailles Elementary School in Versailles, Ohio, went all out to show their support for the Tigers. By incorporating their school colors—orange and gray—and a couple of personalized panels showing their school mascot, there is no doubt to anyone that visits the playground that it is the home of the Tigers.

Not only can we help you create an entirely personalized playground like Versailles Elementary, but we can add any level of personalization to best meet your needs. From a personalized welcome sign to playground panels with your school name, motto or mascot, or a customized freestanding play component, we’ll help make your school playground design your own.

Collaborating to improve playgrounds citywide

Posted on August 9, 2013 by PlayLSI

Work is underway at playgrounds all around Washington, D.C. The more than 30 playground renovations are part of an initiative of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) known as Play DC. Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray has allocated $35 million to the playground improvement project.

Rosedale Recreation Center (1701 Gales Street NE)

The first of the completed playgrounds, located at Rosedale Recreation Center, celebrated its grand opening in late May. The playground offers a fully inclusive play experience for children and families, and it was designed to mimic many of the monuments located near the National Mall. Façades of the White House, U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument give the playground a truly signature look.

Palisades Recreation Center (5200 Sherrier Place NW)

Another amazing project that’s part of Play DC is at the Palisades Recreation Center. The playground offers a Native American-themed play structure that pays tribute to the Potomac River settlement. And keeping in mind the whole community, planners included the HealthBeat® Outdoor Fitness System for ages 13+. “We opened that playground on July 4,” said Bridget Stesney, chief operating officer at DPR, “and it has been packed every day since!”

Noyes Recreation Center (Franklin Street NE & 10th Street NE)

In July, DPR celebrated playground grand openings at Noyes Recreation Center and Fort Stanton Recreation Center on July 19 and 20, respectively. The Noyes playground was inspired by nature and includes lots of climbing rocks, while two play structures at Fort Stanton offer a fort theme for lots of imaginative play.

Fort Stanton Recreation Center (1812 Erie Street SE)

DPR is hosting grand openings regularly—the next one is happening Monday, Aug. 12, at the Raymond Recreation Center. And when they’re not celebrating grand openings, they’re celebrating ground breakings. The entire DPR team is excited to be able to renovate the playgrounds citywide, and hope that they will become spaces where all generations can come together to be active, have fun and play.

Bringing new, rolling shapes to the playground

Posted on June 20, 2013 by PlayLSI

We are excited to showcase one of our newest playground designs—the Hillscape Adventure! The treaded boardwalk-like climber mimics a hillside landscape and fits naturally into surrounding environments. This design can be ordered as is, customized to fit your site or budget needs, or use it as a starting point and create a design that’s completely unique.

The Hillscape Adventure offers a never-before-seen shape in playground design. Its wavy form and wood-grain textured boards are eye-catching to park visitors, and delivers a truly innovative play experience for kids ages 5 to 12. In addition to providing a unique climbing challenge, kids’ tactile, visual, proprioceptive and vestibular senses are engaged as they play. Even more, the Hillscape Adventure encourages imaginative, unscripted play. This flowing climber is available as a component within a playground structure or can be installed as a freestanding playground climber to accommodate a variety of space and budget requirements.

Learn more about the Hillscape Adventure and all of our design capabilities, then contact your local playground consultant to get started on your next playground design.

Create inspiring play spaces together

Posted on November 9, 2012 by PlayLSI

If you’re working on an upcoming playground project, be sure to check out our 2013 Design Book for inspiration. The book features seven playgrounds from across the country that incorporate a theme, learning opportunities for visitors and truly innovative design.

Sunset Park, Las Vegas, Nev.
Clark County Nevada, Parks & Recreation Department

We have decades of custom design experience, and can help you create a playground design that best fits your community’s personality. Our team of custom designers and artists has created everything from boats and ships to aliens and UFOs, as well as unique designs without themes that become playable art.

Indian Creek Playground, Berwyn Heights, Md.
The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation

Whatever your idea, we’ll help you bring it to life on the playground. Kids’ imaginations with soar with a custom and theme playground design. Get your creative juices flowing… browse our 2013 Design Book, or request that a copy be mailed to you here.

Designed to… Innovate and Strengthen at NRPA 2012

Posted on October 24, 2012 by PlayLSI

Last week, we were in Anaheim, Calif., to participate in the 2012 National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) Congress & Exposition. We exhibited with a beach-themed booth design, which featured the PlayBooster® Vibe™ and a 6-foot ocean wave sculpted from concrete.

Visitors to our booth got a chance to meet some of our custom designers and artists, as well as participate in mock design sessions. Attendees were encourages to put their creativity to work to create a personalized t-shirt. See photos of inspiring t-shirts on Facebook, and tell us what you’re “designed to” do.

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, we hosted a reception on the 5th Floor Lanai at the Hilton Hotel Anaheim. It was a gorgeous evening in a gorgeous space, and we welcomed more than 400 people to the event. In addition to cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and fun, we also celebrated the NRPA Award Winners including the recipient of the Barb King Award for Environmental Stewardship—the County of San Diego, Department of Parks and Recreation. The award was created for Barb King (1946-2008), who cofounded Landscape Structures with her husband, Steve King, to honor her passion for environmental stewardship and sustainability.

We had a great three days in Anaheim visiting with park and recreation professionals, hearing from industry experts and taking in the nearby attractions. Our employees and playground consultants are already looking forward to 2013 NRPA in Houston, Texas!

Custom design creates destination playground

Posted on October 4, 2012 by PlayLSI

Sibley Park in Mankato, Minn., recently opened its new farmstead-themed playground. The playground is installed next to Sibley Farm, a petting zoo complete with alpacas, calves, goats, peacocks, horses, pigs, lambs, chicks and ducklings, and the playground structures match the red barn-style buildings of the zoo.

Our local playground consultant, Flagship Recreation, and our custom design team at Landscape Structures collaborated with the client to create a one-of-a-kind play area. Using a variety of materials, they created two barn-themed playstructures, a chicken coop structure, pig pen, tractor climber, corn stalk climbers, a wagon-themed seesaw and much more. What makes the playground come alive are the farm animals—chickens, coyotes, horses and pigs—sculpted from concrete and hand painted by our team of artists.

The new farmstead-themed playground has quickly become a destination play space for communities surrounding Mankato. Kids and families visit the playground regularly to explore and play. Check out the below video of the playground in action, then see if for yourself at 900 Mound Avenue in Mankato.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/MgKXiWm-XIg]

Together We Play

Bringing the magic of play to communities.

Category Archives: Custom