NYWS Playground

LOCATION: toronto, canada

TYPE: playground

STATUS: COMPLETED

YEAR: 2021

SIZE: 947 sqf

CLIENT: North york women’s shelter

PHOTOS BY: Mean

This playground was custom designed and built for a client who wanted a unique, rather than conventional off-the-shelf product - something thoughtfully designed that could inspire the children who, often coming from difficult situations, sometimes end up living at the shelter for a year or more.  The whimsical landscape is created with CNC-milled marine ply profiles and natural wood elements, punctuated by a standard slide, colourful rock climbers, and a custom steel monkey bar. The collection of forms emerge from the ground revealing a series of hiding places, climbers, and backdrops conducive to imaginative sensory play. An armature, echoing the form of the monkey bar, holds a tuned chime and various found objects, inviting children to play with sounds and transform everyday objects into a percussion orchestra.

Video attributed to North York Women’s Shelter