Free play and playgrounds

Thanks to Radio Health Journal for their interest in this very important issue.  Remember to play today!

Designed and developed in 2005, while Robert Collins was working with Recreation Concepts, Inc., the Brookfield Zoo Main Playground transformed a worn asphalt plaza into a beautiful playground.

Working in close collaboration with the Brookfield Zoo staff, Robert Collins designed a playground with structures suitable for both preschool and school age children, as well as some freestanding play elements. Nature themed roofs and custom play panels were incorporated into the structures to tie into the zoo environment.

The site was transformed with a tri-colored tile surface designed to reflect the play structure’s colors. In order to maintain zoo foot traffic, while continuing to enhance aesthetic character, a brick walk was designed along the north edge of the playground area.

The Brookfield Zoo Main Playground has been extremely well received by both zoo staff and patrons. This success, as well as the collaborative design process, led to a feature article in Landscape Architect & Specifier News in 2007. This project was the first in a series of projects that transformed the Brookfield Zoo into a more family friendly and fun destination. Its great success opened the door to the continued beautification efforts you will see when you visit today.

For much greater detail on this project, please read the feature article that Robert Collins wrote about this project featured in Landscape Architect & Specifier News in 2007.

SHIP WRECK ON AN ISLAND

The Shipwreck on an Island concept was designed and developed in 2003, while Robert Collins was working with Recreation Concepts, Inc. The design was conceived to unify the site design while expanding the playground and adding a large splash park area at the existing Oak Brook Park District community center. The Shipwreck on an Island playground has become a premier PLAYVIRONMENT for Oak Brook and the surrounding communities.

Working in close collaboration with the Oak Brook Park District staff and their landscape architect, Robert Collins designed the playground structures to bring out the design concept. The play areas were defined into three areas linked by the overall theme: A school age structure as the island, a tot structure as the shipwreck on the beach, and a splash park area as the ocean.

The school age playground structure is designed as the island area, with a tree theme and high decks and slides as well as a ramp access point. The “treescape” decks have internal climbers to mimic climbing a tree. To enhance the theme, the surfacing for this area is wood fiber.

The tot area is the shipwreck on the beach. The structure is designed as a ship with one side “smashed” into large rock themed climbers. The structure also has lookout points, under deck imaginary play areas, climbers and slides. Poured in place rubber surface with blue and beige color reflect the ocean on the beach theme.

TREE THEMED SCHOOL AGE STRUCTURE

SPLASH PARK OCEAN AREA

The splash park area is very large, containing exciting above grade and flush mounted spray events that are activated by the users and run through programmed sequences to maintain fun and interest. This “ocean” area has rubber surfacing with various shades of blue.

For much greater detail on this project, please read the feature article that Robert Collins wrote about this project featured in Landscape Architect & Specifier News in 2005.

MAPLEBROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE AREA

Maplebrook Elementary School was ready for a new playground in 2007. After an extensive search they chose to work with Robert Collins, working with Recreation Concepts at the time, for the design and implementation.

The school had created a committee and had a very specific list of goals they wanted to achieve. Collins worked with them to exceed all of these goals and create an interactive, fun and active playvironment that has been a rousing success.

The playground, built in cooperation and partially funded with Naperville Park District funds, would require a small tot age play area to go along with an extensive school age area. The school already had an existing curb and surfacing area within which they wanted to contain the new play equipment. Therefore, the site planning would be as critical as the equipment design.

After a detailed site inventory, Collins created a school age structure with multiple points of access and egress, looping routes, and activities ranging from climbing to sliding to overhead ladders, as well as under-deck activities. This play structure not only fit into the site perfectly, it also exceeded the committee’s goals and created great anticipation as Summer approached.

In addition to the school age play structure; the committee wanted a unique and fun play event as a focal point. Large net climbers were just approved for United States safety guidelines, and Maplebrook Elementary became the first school in their district to feature one. The net has been a rousing success with the kids.

Swings and a small but activity packed tot structure rounded out the playground equipment.

LARGE NET CLIMBER

TOT STRUCTURE AND PAVILION

The Maplebrook Elementary playvironment opened to great fanfare in the fall of 2007, and has become a fun destination point for the school children as well as the whole neighborhood.

BUTTERNUT PARK PLAY PODS

Butternut Park is a beautiful site with wooded areas surrounding an open field area. The Frankfort Park District wanted to add a neighborhood park playground to the site in 2006. Robert Collins, working with Recreation Concepts at the time, suggested a “Play Pods” concept to place the playground in smaller pods in the wooded area. This had the advantage of locating the playground with easy access from the street, as well as preserving the open space for sporting activities. Even better, it would encourage the playground users to interact with the wooded natural area. The play pods concept is an excellent way to incorporate play equipment into natural areas, creating a fun and unique playvironment.

In order to place the play pods to minimize environmental impact, and maximize access, Collins conducted a detailed site inventory and located all of the desirable shade trees. Once these were plotted onto the site plan, the play pods were located and the play equipment designed. The play pods would be located so that the school age pod is closest to the access point. A smaller tot pod is located a little further in, and then the swing pod, with the tot and belt swings, is located in a larger open area adjacent to the turf.

BUTTERNUT PARK PAVILION

To enhance interaction with the natural environment, the talk tubes are located in the woods between the tot and school age pods.

To finish off the site plan, a pavilion is located between the wooded and the open turf areas.

Butternut Park was one of the earliest nature integrated playgrounds, and today, this has become a popular trend. RGC Design is a pioneer in this design concept, and Butternut Park is an excellent example of a nature-integrated playvironment.