Activate the power of play

We believe that play has a unique ability to connect people together. Play energizes, disarms, levels playing fields, and creates shared moments and memories. Throughout our community, we will encourage our residents to take time out to gather and play.

Play will be a central part of our programming activities. Trivia night, tournaments (poker, cornhole, pingpong) and a breadth of community teams (soccer, kickball, Frisbee) are all ways that we will bring people together to play. We will emphasize social fitness — from boot camps to more fun options such as ninja warrior training — and other ways of “doing” together instead of doing it alone (for example, a maker studio space connected to the mail room).

At the same time, we will seed more “passive” inspiration for play throughout the community. A rotation of table games that traverses across floors, a larger-scale game parlor, a touch-screen crossword in the elevators, and a basketball hoop on top of the garage are examples of how we can create a platform for play and engagement throughout the community.

Beyond actual games, we will find places and ways to simply inject a playful spirit into the community. Think of a community “mascot” (such as a bulldog sculpture) that appears in random places every day, a month long “where’s (w)Aldo” search party or simply having “what the heck is that?” art installed in the community periodically.

Importantly, we focus on the low- or mid-tempo vibe that comes from places including OMB’s backyard or Queen City Social. We will create the kind of play that still allows conversations and connections to happen.