Up on Play: Landscape Architects by Landscape Structures

Up on Play

Landscape Architects Issue 1

Topiaries, flowers and playgrounds... OH MY! Landscape Structures is excited to have its playground equipment featured at the 20th Annual EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival, which kicked off March 6, and runs through May 19. We are truly honored to be a part of this special event, and proud to say that 2013 marks our 11th year of participation. New to the Festival this year is the garden and children’s play area called, “Land of Oz.” A themed Evos® playsystem is linked to the PlayBooster® Vibe™ to create a truly unique play experience. A rainbow-colored O-Zone® climber, cityscape and flower post toppers, and custom Vibe roofs will stretch kids’ imaginations and muscles. Additionally flower pod steppers lead to three Cozy Domes®, fun playground components that act as a hide-away on the inside while providing climbing fun on the outside. In addition to the all-new “Land of Oz” garden, a natureinspired playground was designed especially for 2- to 5-year-olds. A PlayBooster playstructure complete with The Peak™ natural climbers fits perfectly into the garden, which has a southwestern-themed landscape. And EPCOT didn’t forget about the teenagers, parents and grandparents visiting the park. In yet another garden, three of our HealthBeat® outdoor fitness stations are available for a quick workout. If you’re in the neighborhood or planning a warm-weather vacation near Lake Buena Vista, Fla., make plans to visit the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Colorful flowers and more than 75 Disney character topiaries accompany the play areas, along with a concert series and presentations by HGTV and DIY Network personalities.

A finger on the Pulse of multisensory play Earlier this year, Landscape Structures introduced Pulse™, a multisensory way to add lights, sounds, touch and more movement to the playground. We’ve been committed to providing sensory play experiences for many years in an effort to create truly inclusive playgrounds, and the addition of Pulse will welcome children of all abilities and ages to the playground for visual, auditory and tactile stimulation.

Pulse offers three interactive games with stimulating LED light patterns and sounds that help kids develop their muscles, hand-eye coordination and action/reaction skills. Pulse games are simple, intuitive and engaging for the whole family. Even more, the three new games encourage social interaction, teach the value of sportsmanship, and help develop physical coordination and spatial awareness. • Pulse Tennis is great for two to eight players ages 5 to 12. With flashing lights and realistic tennis sounds, kids will be encouraged to run, lunge and stretch to send the light back to their opponent. • Pulse Table Tennis welcomes two to four players ages 2 to 12. Kids develop hand-eye coordination and concentration as they watch for the light to bounce back to them. Table tennis, installed at a wheelchair-accessible height, is great for therapeutic settings. • Pulse Tempo rewards kids for their movement with five unique sound and light shows. Designed for up to six players ages 2 to 12, Pulse Tempo helps advance kids’ motor skills. Pulse offers a truly unique experience on the playground. Watch Pulse in action and hear what kids have to say about the new multisensory play experience.

Create a true environment with matching site furnishings When Landscape Structures collaborates with you to create a playground design, our goal is to help create a complete play environment. We’re expanding this service by offering three new site furnishings collections that match our playground equipment as well as the surrounding landscape. Whether you’re focused on creating a modern, traditional or nature-inspired project, our site furnishings collections will help put the finishing touches on the play environment.

The Designer Collection’s modern style and architectural details are the ideal complement to our Evos® and Weevos® playsystems. The Arches Bench, Bike Racks, and Recycling and Litter Receptacles will accentuate your contemporary playground design.

Extend your nature-inspired playground environment with the distinctive Nature-Inspired Collection. The Log Bench, Acorn Seat, Leaf Bike Rack, Wood-Grain Bench and much more will help complete your play space and blend in harmoniously with the natural environment.

You can plan on pairing our classic PlayBooster®, PlayShaper® and PlaySense® playsystems with the Vivid Collection. The colorful Kaleidoscope Bench, and Recycling and Litter Receptacles, along with the Loop Rack and TenderTuff Picnic Tables and Benches will coordinate perfectly with traditional playgrounds.

The three new collections add to Landscape Structures’ already extensive site furnishings offerings. Learn more about the new Designer, Vivid and Nature-Inspired Collections, and all of our site furnishings available at playlsi.com.

Leave it to the professionals Landscape Structures is so honored to work with landscape architects around the world. We’re constantly learning about fun and unique projects on which you’ve worked, obstacles that you face and innovative solutions that you create to overcome challenges. That’s why we’ve created this new feature that spotlights a professional, introduces him or her, and gives you a glimpse into what projects and programs he or she has implemented. Our first featured professional is Joy Kuebler, owner of Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC. Read below to learn more about Joy, and her experience in the field of landscape architecture Q: How long have you been involved in landscape architecture? A: I’ve been involved in the landscape architecture industry for nearly 20 years. I started my career working for a small firm in Florida, then moved to large multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firms. In 2003, I started my own practice, Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC, which has allowed me to create my own level of service that I can offer to customers. I’ve worked on many projects from small residential projects to designing entire corporate campuses. No matter what the project, though, I bring an environmental aspect to each and ask myself how I can provide a better quality of life to users. I focus my work on the human experience—from filtering out noise to choosing a calming color palette and creating a space where users can feel comfortable. Q: What have been some of your favorite projects? A: Some of my favorite projects have been creating outdoor classrooms at elementary and high school settings. One project in particular that stands out is an urban elementary school for which I created a space for pre-k to second grade kids. I had 11,000 square feet with which to work, and I incorporated mounds, logs, boulders and an existing stream to create six classroom spaces. It became a sort of an oasis for these kids as they didn’t have much connection to nature outside of school. nother space I am proud to have been involved in is a learning courtyard in a high school setting. Within A 6,000 square feet, I created a pond, stream, bog, forest and a garden for students. It provided an opportunity for them to be free and relieve the stresses of the day. These kids became truly engaged in the nature around them, and enjoyed the chance to be outside—whether for relaxation alone, socializing with friends or catching up on homework. Q: What are some of your personal hobbies? A: I love to dance tango! I wear a lot of hats—I’m a single mom of two, business owner—and dancing allows me to turn everything off and live in the moment. I started tango dancing because of a Groupon; I began a one-year quest to find a new hobby during which I tried many things. The one that stuck was dancing—it’s one of the most joyous experiences ever! I’ve met lots of diverse friends, and have learned to trust people to lead me and let them into my personal bubble. Q: You’re active on Twitter; how did you get involved with social media and what do you enjoy about it? A: My friends first encouraged me to join Facebook and Twitter because they know how social I am and they knew I would love it—and I did. Aside from the social aspect of it, social media allows me to contribute to the profession. acebook: I share hands-on content about how a day or project goes as well as public events. It’s an F interactive way to show who we are at Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC. Twitter: I have a direct conversation with the world on Twitter. I have a connection with many people because of Twitter, and have actually even had the opportunity to meet people in person at conferences and professional events. LinkedIn: This is a powerful tool for me. I have many connections with different groups and choose to participate in community boards, which give me a more global reach. Learn more about what projects Joy and her team are working on by visiting www.jklastudio.com.

Industry News Read about the latest happenings affecting landscape architects, and then join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+. Let us know what you think about the following topics: • Easing Brain Fatigue with a Walk in the Park A recent study from researchers in Scotland suggests that brain fatigue can be eased by visiting parks and other green spaces. This theory, while not new, has been difficult to prove. But a new technology allowed researchers to study brain wave patterns of volunteers while they were engaged with green spaces. Read more. • President Obama Releases 2014 Budget Request President Obama recently released his federal budget request, which outlines the administration’s priorities for the upcoming federal fiscal year. There are a number of items that will interest the landscape architecture profession including the conservation, preservation and recreation mission of the National Park Service. Read more.

Calendar of Events Looking forward to seeing you at the following events: MaY • EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. JuNE • Kiwanis International Convention, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada October • NRPA, Houston, Texas November • National League of Cities, Seattle, Wash. • ASLA, Boston, Mass.

Landscape Structures Inc. 601 7th St. South Delano, MN 55328-8605 888.438.6574 763.972.5200 playlsi.com

• Temporary Can Still be Valuable The Chicago Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) realized that temporary public spaces can still be valuable to neighborhoods, and challenged communities throughout the city to create more with a contest. They received 46 entries, which included community gardens/farms and playgrounds. Read more.