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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24 Landscape Architect and Specifier News (Continued from page 24) p l a y g ro u n d list of playground equipment contractors. Nine designs were submitted, and residents, the school district and Willamalane staff were given an opportunity to weigh in on the decision. Buell Recreation was ultimately selected to provide play equipment manufactured by BCI Burke. Quartz Park includes full-court basketball, a playfield with a perimeter path, lighting, a small parking lot and stormwater treatment planters and rock outfalls. The local children now enjoy a much larger playground than would have been possible without a plan to meet the needs of a future school. The neighborhood park features separate play areas for ages 5-12 (7,000 square feet) and 2-5 (more than 1,450 square feet), plus a sandbox with a buried dinosaur fossil. There are also several music panels that allow children to play songs. The construction timeline was very tight due to the QSCB's funding constraints. The majority of the construction, including grading, utilities, parking lot installation, concrete and most of the landscaping had to be completed by early July, the deadline for spending 100 percent of the QSCB funds. Features like the playground, which was funded by Willamalane, did not have these time constraints and were added later in the process. The construction phase lasted from March to October 2013, and a grand opening event brought residents out to Quartz Park for the first time on October 15, 2013. Above The neighborhood park features a 7,000-square-foot play area for 5-12-year- olds, more than 1,450 square feet for 2-5-year-olds, and a sandbox with a buried dinosaur fossil. There are also several music panels that allow children to play songs. The park also includes a basketball court, a playfield with a perimeter path, lighting, a small parking lot, stormwater treatment planters and rock outfalls. Middle Construction costs for the park reached approximately $1.2 million, $400,000 of which came from a Willamalane bond measure approved by voters in November 2012. The remainder was paid for by funds the school district received from a round of federal economic stimulus spending. Bottom The play surface consists of recycled rubber tiles provided by Buell Recreation and manufactured by RB Rubber Products. Rubber tiles were first installed in Willamalane parks about 15 years ago, but the areas were limited in size and only used at access points for play equipment. In contrast, the design team was able to specify more than 8,450 square feet of safety surfacing across both play areas at Quartz Park. 22-25.indd 24 3/25/14 3:31 PM