Landscape Architect Articles

LASN December 2011 Stewardship: Rebuilding Fun Forest12-09-11 | News

Rebuilding Fun Forest

by Scott Wiley, Timmons Group

The playground?EUR??,,????'?????< Photo courtesy Leathers and Associates

Fun Forest was built in 1996 during a five-day volunteer construction effort involving over 1,600 passionate friends of the park. Leathers and Associates, which specializes in community build playgrounds, lead that effort.

Fun Forest has stood as the city of Chesapeake?EUR??,,????'?????<

Chesapeake Parks and Recreation Department realized a revisit of the original layout was overdue. Timmons Group?EUR??,,????'?????<

The Fun Forest playground in Chesapeake City Park, Virginia was recognized by the Virginia Recreation and Parks Society as the ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Primarily situated on sandy soils amidst a massive native pine forest, the design needed to bring the overall scale down to a level that pleased both younger and older generations. Splashes of color against a dense forest green background brightens the entrance as user?EUR??,,????'?????<

The damaged section of the park was closed for approximately one year until fundraising was complete to rebuild the equipment bigger and better. With a staff on hand from Timmons and the help from the city of Chesapeake?EUR??,,????'?????<

The Sears More Green Across America funding was on the first phase of the modernizing of Fun Forest. During the spring of 2011 a wildly successful second community build was held to rebuild the playground destroyed by arson. Leathers developed a modern upgrade including ADA accessibility and dynamic slides in the shape of a ship.

Following the arson, local residents and park users quickly rallied to heal
the wounds.
Photos courtesy Timmons Group