Upgrading aging facilities by bringing them to modern educational standards is not isolated to classrooms and collaborative spaces. In some ways, the layout of a playground can have just as much impact on the well-being of children as their indoor academic environment because learning continues through play. 

When involved in public architecture, it’s a designer’s responsibility to listen to their clients, even when those clients are in the third grade. The more the architect understands the needs of the space, the better the design can reflect that. The students know what their favorite activities and equipment on the playground are, so this will inform the potential for fun lasting decades. 

“We want to know what the kids think is working well in their school district, but also what can be improved,” noted Project Manager Claire Bank of ThenDesign Architecture. “Some groups were safety focused. It was neat to see how intuitively thoughtful some of the students are. They give us a young, fresh perspective.”