March 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 68

DESIGNING FOR THE VISITOR

regardless of age. " We are excited
about the range of people who are
interested in the ways they can interact in this space. The designers have
taken [intergenerational use] into
consideration by providing benches and places for folks to sit and
watch [children playing] knowing
that there will be grandparents there
as often as there might be parents, "
said Great Rivers Greenway's Director of Communications and Outreach, Emma Klues.
Forum Studio has been focused on
combining the needs and wants of the
Wellston community with the park
amenity donations to create a design
that both complements and enhances
the vision and future of the city. For
PlayCore's Vice-President of Corporate Marketing and Communications,
Anne-Marie Spencer, this is about
more than donating equipment: It's
about matching their materials with
the design. " We are working closely
with the architect and planners to understand their vision. They're the eyes
on the ground and have an amazing
vision for the space. "

66 Parks & Recreation

" When we looked at the park and
all the wishes the community had,
it wasn't just for children's play - it
was also for the whole community,
from health and fitness, and arts and
education to the social development
that could happen for an adult or a
child, " said Forum Studio's Senior
Associate and Landscape Architect,
Neil Eisenberger. The park design
includes play areas for different age
groups with buffers against the adjacent street, fitness equipment, water
play, a basketball court, open space,
a butterfly garden and a rain garden. " In the center, we have this area
called the gathering spot, right in the

Trojan Park is part of a
broader effort by Great
Rivers Greenway to link
parks throughout St.
Louis with more than 600
miles of greenways.

| M A R C H 2 0 1 6 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

heart of the playground area, " Eisenberger continued, for people to congregate. " We wanted to make sure
there was something for all ages. "
Play Equipment
Located in the center of the park,
the play equipment varies by use and
age with something for everyone.
For the youngsters (ages 2-5), BCI
Burke is providing a dynamic, interactive play structure that is both appealing and age appropriate. " When
we looked at the space and overall
design of the park, we saw a lot of
circular geometry, and we wanted
to display our structure in the center
of the circle, " said Burke Landscape
Designer Humberto Caballero. " It is
important that the space flows but
also offers some surprises, " he added. " That is why we selected the Ara
Shade. It allowed us to incorporate
colors, new, interesting shapes, and
gave height to the play space so kids
could see it from afar and get excited
about playing there. "
Bringing in nature play, Playworld
has donated its Branch Out play
equipment, inspired from climbing
trees. " This design is brand new. The
theory behind its design is to merge
classic kids-playing-in-trees play experiences with contemporary equipment that incorporates inclusion and
safety, " said Playworld's Director
of Sales, Kevin Cook. " The central
piece is like a giant tree fort, and it
invites kids to play on it in all kinds
of ways, just like a tree in somebody's
backyard or a tree in the woods. You
can play on it, you can play around
it, you can be inside it, and you can
climb it in a variety of ways. [It has]
hundreds of undefined routes of
play. " And, for Cook and his colleagues at Playworld, play is the operative word: " We believe the world
needs play - it's that simple. "
Bringing both play and games to

March 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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