The Pace Academy campus, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is rich in history and dates back to the original building, the "Castle," formerly the private estate of the John Ogden family. Built in 1931, this impressive stone building was built using stone quarried on the property and possesses an architecture that influenced the design of the rest of the campus and grounds. The stately buildings spread throughout the 34-acre campus and combined with beautiful trees, plants, fields, and grass to provide the perfect canvas for the new play environment. Designed to harmonize with the magnificent buildings and embody the feel of a place where the past, present, and future come together to build an atmosphere of excellence, this playground blends form and function to create an imaginative, adventurous, and developmentally rich play experience for all of the Pace students.

The design at Pace Academy's playspace is full of exciting surprises and replay value. The towers beg to be climbed again and again with a new and adventurous experience each time. A bridge brought an architect's plans to life and transports children directly from the second floor of the building to the heart of the tower, offering them an opportunity to slide down twisting, turning slides or climb into the main playspace. It also brings them into the playspace faster when it's recess time, making sure they get all of the precious minutes of playtime.

 
Mixed surfacing throughout the play environment provides pathways through the play areas to enhance imaginative play and contribute to the design of the space. A castle "moat" bridge takes advantage of the "river" that weaves around each of the play areas. Nestled between the two playspaces is a turf field where kids can run, play games, participate in sports, or socialize. All surfacing meets ASTM standards and provides access to people of all abilities so everyone can move freely throughout the space and create their own pathways while they play.

Pace Academy's play environment is full of different kinds of play opportunities from imaginative play to sensory play, to rocking, sliding, and climbing. Designed to complement the castle-like buildings, this playspace blends form and function to bring adventure, imagination, and loads of play and development to the students at Pace Academy. The Nucleus?,?(R) Evolution?,?(R) towers beg to be explored with rope climbers and slides that beckon children to play. A "bridge" from the second level of the school building brought an architect's plans to life and transports children directly to the top of the tower where they can choose their own descent - slide or climb - and dig into the rest of the play environment. A large turf field provides plenty of room for sports and games and allows everyone to move freely throughout the space. A second play area provides a unique play experience with a roller slide built into a hillside, climbers and a paved pathway to access it, and a structure full of climbing and imaginative play. With two play areas, Pace provides a complete experience with play variety and lots of adventure for children at all levels.

Viewing the space holistically, the design is customized to create a castle-like feel to complement the surrounding buildings and even encompasses the school's coat of arms into a prominently placed panel. Each and every detail was designed to create a unique and exciting play and development area for the children of Pace Academy. The school's motto "To have the courage to strive for excellence" is evident throughout the design and will encourage age-appropriate risk taking, play, development, and lots of fun experiences.

Team List:
Architect - TVSdesign
Landscape Architect - HGOR
Local Sales Representative - PlaySouth Playground Creators
Playground Equipment Manufacturer - BCI Burke Company
Playground Surfacing - Rubber Designs