Tag Archives: Baltimore

A winning booth design: How it’s made

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Last week, we were in Baltimore for the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference. We had a great time connecting with everyone in the exhibit hall, and were honored to have our booth space awarded Best in Show. So how does a tradeshow booth get designed? We talked with Scott Roschi, creative director, and Allison Koeckeritz, custom playground designer, about how their vision for the space came together.

The overall design idea for the tradeshow booth was a contemporary coffee shop. “We wanted to take our past idea of hospitality to the next level, and created the feeling of a coffee shop overlooking a park with a great playground,” explained Scott. Plus, they aimed to create cozy spaces where visitors to the booth could come together for semi-private meetings.

The goal was to create a warm and inviting space, and Scott and Allison achieved that with a unique palette of materials and colors. “The trend is moving from rose gold into warmer, earthy colors like the copper we used throughout the space,” said Scott.

“The inspiration for the copper elements came from the lights we used over the coffee bar and in the cozy spaces,” said Allison.

Industrial aspects were integrated into the design including raw wood table tops and accents, pipes and strategically placed copper pieces. “It was truly about creating a sensory-rich experience with great coffee and good conversation,” added Scott. A special thanks to nParallel, our production partner, in helping bring this vision to life.

The pair also incorporated interactive elements, which is where the wall of chalk art popped up. The idea was to create an Instagram-worthy photo opp for visitors. To keep the design authentic, we commissioned chalk artist, Jeff Nelson or @jephemera, to help. Check out the timelapse of his process below.

Hitting the streets of Baltimore

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The 2019 NRPA Annual Conference is just five days away, and we’re excited to get to Baltimore to connect, learn and discover with all of you. If you’re planning to attend the Conference, mark your calendar to join us throughout the week.

DISCOVER.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll be in the Exhibit Hall in booths 3003 and 2806. In the Landscape Structures booth, you’ll find lots of playground inspiration, fun products and opportunities to recharge. Our friends at Aquatix will be nearby ready to talk all things splash play, inclusive spray play and more.

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CONNECT.
Tuesday evening, we’ll be at Eutaw Street – Oriole Park at Camden Yards celebrating the work our customers are doing to shape the lives of children.

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LEARN.
Join us for our education session, Spray Play for All: Designing Inclusive Splash Parks, on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 11 a.m. You’ll hear from our experts, John McConkey and Bill Hachmeister, as well as Ingrid Kanics, president of Kanics Inclusive Design Services, and Rickie Yeager, the development director with the City of Parkersburg, W.V.

Get more details about the NRPA Annual Conference including keynote speakers, workshops and more. And be sure to stop by our booths to connect with us!

 

Bringing play to schools around the nation

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We’re honored to partner with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) on their Community Service Day. For the past four years, we’ve worked side-by-side with principals from around the nation to build and beautify school playgrounds in conjunction with the organization’s annual conference.

John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore, Md.

John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore, Md.

In July, we worked with NAESP members to install an inclusive playground at John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore, Md. Principal Mary C. Donnelly said that she thinks the new playground will dramatically increase the use of outdoor grounds for both school instruction as well as recreation. As we completed the playground project with NAESP this year, we thought it would be fun to look back at the other schools we’ve helped over the years.

Hawthorne Elementary School, Seattle, Wash.

Hawthorne Elementary School, Seattle, Wash.

Principals congregated at Seattle’s Hawthorne Elementary School in March 2012 to build an inclusive playground. In just a few hours, the inclusive PlayBooster® playstructure was installed, allowing the principals to network with each other and interact with Hawthorne Elementary students.

Booker T. Washington Elementary School, Tampa, Fla.

Booker T. Washington Elementary School, Tampa, Fla.

In April 2011, we created a nature-inspired outdoor learning environment for Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Tampa, Fla. Now more than two years later, Principal Toynita Martinez says the outdoor classroom concept is being embraced. “All of our teachers are taking advantage of the outdoor classroom,” said Martinez. “A lot of math and science classes take place outside. Plus, reading groups disperse in the space to finish a reading assignment and then come together to discuss.”

MacGregor Music and Science Academy, Houston, Texas

MacGregor Music and Science Academy, Houston, Texas

Our first time participating in the NAESP Community Service Day was in 2010. We designed a sensory-rich play space complete with the Sensory Play Center® and Cozy Dome® for students at MacGregor Music and Science Academy in Houston, Texas. “We’re really proud and still excited about the gift that NAESP and Landscape Structures provided,” said Principal Patricia Allen of the playground.

Learn more about our partnership with NAESP, and our joint commitment to enhancing the lives of children and the communities in which they live.