Landscape Architect Articles

LASN Playground March 200903-03-09 | News

Santa Clara War Memorial Park ?EUR??,,????'?????<

By Doug Godfrey, Project Manager, Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey

The playground was designed for tot and school-age children, although an emphasis was placed on programming the park for children age two to five.

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The park?EUR??,,????'?????<

The site grade was lowered about three feet and the excavated material used to create a series of berms three to seven feet in height around the perimeter of the park. The berms enclose the playground from adjacent ball fields, hide a nearby parking lot and, with plantings, screen an adjacent residential edge. The berms also give the kids a place to run up and down.

War Memorial Playground is designed around a playful ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The main features of the park are custom play sculptures designed, fabricated, and installed by Mario Chiodo Studios of Oakland, Calif. The play features include an anthill climbing structure and six whimsical ant sculptures. The anthill is roughly eight feet in diameter, sloping up to three feet in height. It is fabricated with four of the ant sculptures climbing up the sides to a depression at the top where children can sit and play. A fifth ant sculpture is mounted in the middle of a sand pit, providing an opportunity for the children to discover the buried creature. The remaining ant sculpture welcomes children and parents at the park?EUR??,,????'?????<

A fifth ant sculpture is attached to the middle of a sand pit, providing an opportunity for the children to discover the buried creature.

In addition to the sculpture at the park?EUR??,,????'?????<

Where the concrete trail meets the resilient safety surfacing, the matting continues the impression to the bottom of the hill. Impressions for the concrete trail and the trail within the resilient safety surfacing were created from molds, also from Chiodo Studios.

To the extent possible, play equipment that fit the theme or look of the park was selected. The unique qualities and characteristics and overall play value of the pieces were also a major consideration.

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The site, prior to construction was relatively flat and open on three of four sides. To create a sense of enclosure and space, the site grade was lowered about three feet and the excavated material used to create a series of berms three to seven feet in height around the perimeter of the park. The berms enclose the playground from adjacent ball fields, hide a near-by parking lot and, with plantings, screen an adjacent residential edge. The berms also have play value, allowing open areas for children to run and play on their own.

Plant selection for the playground intended to continue the unique look and character of the park. Color, form and texture were all considered in the selection of plant material ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Impressions of ants marching in-line are stamped along the extent of the colored concrete trail that meanders through the park and ends at anthill. Where the concrete trail meets the resilient safety surfacing, the matting continues the impression to the bottom of the hill. Impressions for the concrete trail and the trail within the resilient safety surfacing were created from molds by Chiodo Studios.

Other park improvements include benches around the tot-play area, tables and benches in the central plaza of the park, site lighting and a prefabricated restroom.

Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey is headquartered in Mill Valley, Calif., just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and has an office in San Francisco. The 40-plus person firm has been doing landscape architecture for 50 years.

Playground Equipment

Mario Chiodo Studios

CusTom Play Equipment (and hill, ant sculptures, ant impression mold)

Kompan

Pointed Shifter (M702400P)

Quasar Stabile and Rocking Tube (GXY 17028)

Big Toys

Rock and Cross (ME05)

Landscape Structures

Tot swing (139908A)School-Age swing (139910A)

Slide, Belt Bridge, Bubble Panels, Loop Arch

Boldr

Goat Rock climbing structure

Totturf by Robertson Industries

Resilient Safety Surfacing