LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
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hardscapes Hardscapes for the Playspace By Jolynn Bennett, Pavestone, LLC Above Surfacing is a paramount concern for landscape architects, as increased regulations for fall safety and the danger of litigation can threaten ill-considered projects. Hardscape materials can play a key role, inspiring active play and supporting safety surfacing beneath playground equipment. Here, a low retaining wall (Granite Blend Anchor Highland Stone®, Pavestone) corrals soft safety material under a small play structure and swing set. Creating well-planned play areas requires many decisions, from choosing play equipment, to defining activity zones, to selecting the proper surfacing. Designers are looking for alternatives to muddy fields, muggy asphalt and poured-in-place concrete slabs. When selecting surfacing, the International Playground Contractors Association (NPCAI) recommends taking the time necessary to look into what will provide the best safety and value over the long term. Proper requirements and procedures for installing playground surfacing can be obtained from surfacing manufacturers, through the International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) and via the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Pavers on the Playground Installations around play equipment are an equally important consideration, and designers looking for aesthetic form and superior function are turning to interlocking concrete pavers and permeable 18 Landscape Architect and Specifier News installations. These provide functional and ecological solutions. Whether for a family backyard play area or a city park, hardscape designs and products can be a part of a sustainable recreation zone for all ages to enjoy. Paver pathways, retaining walls, benches, seating walls, erosion control systems, and even permanent paver game board patterns can enhance playgrounds large and small. According to the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute, the "superior physical properties of pavers provide longer pavement life, reduced maintenance costs and extend the replacement cycle while conserving the use of raw materials. The initial costs of segmental pavements over concrete or asphalt may be more, but it has been shown that the life cycle cost of an interlocking concrete pavement system over a 40 year period is actually less. This is because pavers make up a "maintenance free pavement." In addition, the use of permeable interlocking concrete pavers in projects, including recreational areas, "eliminates stormwater runoff and conserves land, while serving as a durable wearing course." (Continued on page 20)