Landscape Architect Articles

Centerpiece to a Growing Community10-02-20 | Department

Centerpiece to a Growing Community

Rotary Centennial Playground in Pensacola, Florida
by Steve Dana, RLA, Jerry Pate Design

The Rotary Centennial Playground in Pensacola, Florida features unique play structures, a clock tower centerpiece, shade trees and a covered picnic area. The playground was designed with no walls or hiding places so parents can keep a watchful eye on their kids as they play. The shade structure was designed to be stretched across the seating area to provide maximum shade. It is made from a high-density polyethylene with ultraviolet additives with monofilament and tape construction to create a stable material. The cloth was Rachel knitted to ensure that it will not be unraveled if cut. The posts of the shade structure vary in height to increase available shade during lower sun angles and to provide some sculptural interest to the feature. The playground has numerous benches and picnic tables for parents to gather while their children play.

This inclusive playground located in the center of the waterfront park overlooks Pensacola Bay. Live oaks provide shade around the perimeter and completely surround the area to shield the play equipment from the summer sun and local trade winds. Flax lily, dwarf yaupon, parson's juniper, Indian hawthorne, Asiatic jasmine, and dwarf fakahatchee grass complete the planting. LED pole mount fixtures were used for walkways and general area lighting of the playground to match the existing poles and fixtures of the park.

The safety surfacing on the playground is a 2-layer system consisting of a base mat of 100% post-consumer recycled SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber) and polyurethane and a top surface consisting of recycled post-industrial EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber or TPV Granule and aromatic or aliphatic urethane binder. The light blue and white coloration was chosen to improve the reflectivity index of the playground surface and reduce surface temperatures. The light blue also corresponds with the maritime location of the park which is directly on Pensacola Bay. The blue is 75% sky blue and 25% pearl. The white area is 75% pearl and 25% black.

This playground offers special needs accessibility for children between the ages of 5 and 12. It features sculptural and artistic play systems that are designed to encourage muscle coordination and strength while also creating an environment of imaginative play and decision-making. The play equipment is designed to reinforce learning, encourage the development of social skills, inspire imaginative play, provide physical challenges, develop agility and balance, strengthen muscles, and promote parent/child interaction. The components of the playground features are composed of rust-resistant materials to mitigate the effects of the high saltwater area. The playground is well lit, and the play structures are designed so there are no walls or hiding places, making it easier for parents to supervise children, the rubberized safety surfacing contains the Rotary logo design and at its center is the Rotary clocktower.

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Hurricane Ivan hit Pensacola in September 2004 and devastated the community. After initial cleanup had taken place, the city mayor and manager along with local business leaders congregated to discuss ways to revitalize the area. Their communication lead to the concept of the 32-acre Community Maritime Park. One of the key components of the park and landscape is the Rotary Centennial Playground.

Initially, the playground was desired for the first phase of construction of the Community Maritime Park. However, the project trended over budget and the playground was delegated to subsequent development phases. The Rotary Club of Pensacola recognized the opportunity to give the playground to the City of Pensacola for the Rotary International Centennial in 2016. Jerry Pate Design was approached by a member of the Rotary Club to help with the visioning and design for the playground, and was subsequently hired to be the landscape architect for the project and work hand in hand with Bullock Tice Associates, a local architecture firm whose principal is a member of the Rotary Club of Pensacola. The process began by recognizing that the playground was isolated on the new Maritime Park and had no neighborhoods or other passive draws to the playground. Certainly, during stadium and amphitheater events the playground would get use, but there was concern about its popularity on the other days of the year.

The playground had to be attractive to draw people to the park. The city's 98 existing parks contained 51 playgrounds in total in which all were variations of three models of playgrounds of the ladder, deck/ramp, slide variety without amenities for visitors other than children. The Rotary Club of Pensacola set up a project committee to direct the design development to create a more visually impressive and inclusive playground. To meet this goal, the committee quickly agreed that the area must stand apart and also provide amenities for adults as well. The team worked with city officials to site the playground adjacent to existing restrooms and drinking fountains. The team also consulted studioMLA Architects to develop visioning ideas to ensure that the playground was unique with play elements that were found nowhere else in the area. Their concepts for sculptural, universal play elements, that were non-scripted while allowing both child and parent to engage together were ultimately incorporated into the design.

The playground is designed with multiple areas including a 3-5-year-old section and a water play area.

To develop inclusivity, the Landscape Structures' Weevos and Evos elements were chosen for the playground as they incorporate universal features that encourage children to engage with them at their own level, build strength and allow parents and child to interact together. These structures also add a sculptural or artistic element to the Maritime Park. The Mobius warped climbing wall has been a huge success as well as the larger Weevos rope climbing elements.

A dozen or so kids can generally be found at the playground, but during stadium or amphitheater events the playground can be even more popular than the main events! It has been a great success.