"Joanne Hiromura, StudioMLA's landscape architect, truly listened to our community and collaborated with us to design a state-of-the-art playground that exceeded all our expectations," said Edward Kuh, who heads the Fayerweather Street School. "The smiles and laughter on our playground tell us that we have succeeded beyond what we could have imagined." The "spinning tree" is from Berliner /Goric; the big slide is from AZA/IDF Industrial Design & Fabrication, Long Island; and the "Explorer Arch" is from Kompan.
Photo Credits: Fayerweather Street School

Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass., a private coeducational school, had a ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 8, 2013 for its new playground.

Plans for a new playground began in fall 2012. Fayerweather administrators began working with StudioMLA Architects www.studiomla.com, an architecture, landscape, and interior design firm in Brookline, Mass., to solicit ideas from teachers, staff, parents and children through community meetings. The major goals were to make the new playground physically challenging (promote healthy risk-taking), foster cooperative, multi-age play and provide cozy and discreet spaces for more contemplative activities.

The school enrolls about 200 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The 9,000 sq. ft. play space features:

1. A custom-built giant slide (10'x10' and 20 feet long) with tree stump steps and a tunnel under the slide featuring three pairs of giant blue mirrors and removable art panels for art classes to paint on.

2. A "spinning tree," a 15-ft. tall rope pine cone climber that revolves on a metal pole.

3. An "explorer arch," a 10-foot high by 20-foot long steel arch climber outfitted with ropes and bungee cables, a modern take on the jungle gym.

Additional playground elements include a lawn, a large sandbox with a water feature, a "secret garden" with a willow branch hut; and a "roadway" for multi-passenger trikes. Seating areas are included.

The BSC Group provided civil engineering services, and Your Space Landscaping was the contractor for the project.