We helped Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tenn., create a playground design to reflect their culture as an internationally diverse school. Hear from our custom playground designer, Jonah Scholen, about how he collaborated with the school to create the playground of their dreams. The end result? Students at Lausanne can run all over the world without ever touching the ground.
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.
Client: Boston Redevelopment Authority, Boston, Mass.
Designers: Cheri Ruane, landscape architect at Spurr, Weston & Sampson’s design studio
Goal: Design an exciting and interesting playground that would be truly inclusive so that kids who are typically developing and those with special needs could play together
Solution: Cheri and her team collaborated with physical and occupational therapists from nearby Spaulding Rehabilitation Center to learn and understand what kinds of therapy and activities should be supported in the park. The playground combines the Evos® playsystem with the PlayBooster® playstructure, landforms were used to create elevation so that space wasn’t taken up by really long lengths of ramps. And sensory-rich and therapy-specific components were included to meet the needs of all visitors.
Read more about how Thomas M. Menino Park brings fun and therapy to the Boston Waterfront.
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.
A former prison might seem an odd place for a childcare center. But places change over time, as do the people who inhabit those places. And when those people are between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, they experience a lot of change in a short amount of time.
Read about the metamorphosis of the play area at Prince George’s County Employee’s Childcare Center below, and get the full story at playlsi.com.
Client: Prince George’s County Employee’s Childcare Center
Designers: Brenda Iraola, landscape architect, and Sparks@Play
Goal: Develop a fresh narrative for the existing play environment around the theme of transformation
Solution: Drawing on the memories of her Grandmother Freda’s farm in Minnesota, Brenda divided the courtyard into four play areas where kids can follow the journey of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. A larger-than-life caterpillar welcomes explorers into an enormous, interactive garden. Play structures are outfitted with flowers, ladybugs, bees, ants, mushrooms and leaves to create an immersive storybook experience.
After observing kids at a local childcare facility, we realized that 2- and 3-year-olds are reaching specific developmental milestones. They’re on the move (to say the least), and are stimulated by things that move! That’s why we created Smart Play: Motion, a new playstructure with lots of moving parts that’s scaled just right for developing toddlers and preschoolers. Kids get plenty of developmentally appropriate challenges with 16 interactive play events.
From a shape-and-fit table to a sensory station, every bit of Smart Play: Motion has some aspect of interactivity to it. Instead of creating just a handrail, our designers incorporated moveable puzzle pieces to create more engagement. And there’s a race car track that encourages cooperative play and interaction. Even more, this compact playstructure is completely accessible to welcome children of all abilities.
Smart Play: Motion not only provides smart design to help create smart kids, but it’s manufactured with a smart use of materials. The manufacturing of Smart Play: Motion—similar to the manufacturing process of all our playground products—is focused on getting as many components as possible out of the smallest amount of material.
Learn more about Smart Play: Motion, and check out the video of this playground design below.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/XbIrAGkc31o]
We’re excited to introduce our new Playground Inspirations book and app! With our 2014 new products, bold signature design ideas and age-appropriate playground environments, you’ll find loads of inspiration to create new play environments that will welcome the entire community. Even more, we’ve paired the Playground Inspirations book with the new Playground Inspirations app, which brings designs found in the book to life with images, videos and renders.
Request your copy of the Playground Inspirations book or browse it virtually. And be sure to download the Playground Inspirations app, available for iPads and Android tablets, for a truly interactive experience.
Looking for playground component-specific information? Request our Playground Components book along with the Playground Inspirations book for inspirational and functional playground planning. Then contact your local Landscape Structures playground consultant to get started.
Get inspiration for your next playground project with our 2014 PLAY Book! In the 40-page book, you’ll see real-life projects from around the nation. From musical-themed play spaces to 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.
Harrison Recreation Center, Washington, DC
When you pair up with our designers, artists and sculptors, you’ll find an amazing toolbox of creative possibilities at your disposal. Plus, our extensive manufacturing capabilities let you artfully incorporate a variety of materials into your playground designs to create a play experience teeming with design innovation.
Triangle Park, Aurora, Colo.
We’ll help you personalize your traditional design to make it out-of-this-world unique! Browse the 2014 PLAY Book or request a copy to learn how we’ll collaborate with you to create signature gathering spaces that your entire community will enjoy.
Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park, Long Island City, N.Y.