Photo courtesy of Fayerweather Street School.
A 10-foot-wide slide is one of many signature features of the playground at Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass.
A 10-foot-wide slide is one of many signature features of the playground at Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass.
A 10-foot-wide slide is one of many signature features of the playground at Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass.
A 10-foot-wide slide is one of many signature features of the playground at Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass.
A 10-foot-wide slide is one of many signature features of the playground at Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass.

Playtime in Massachusetts

March 1, 2014
Students at Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass., have a renovated playground with 9,000 square feet of physically challenging play space.

Students at Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass., have a renovated playground with 9,000 square feet of physically challenging play space designed to promote healthy risk-taking; foster cooperative, multi-age play; and provide cozy and discreet spaces that encourage creative and dramatic play.

Administrators at the coeducational private school began the playground renovation process by working with Boston-based StudioMLA Architects and soliciting ideas from teachers, staff, parents, and children through a series of community meetings.

Ultimately, the design came to include a myriad of activities, spaces, and play elements that the community identified as essential in the pre-design conversations with the architects. The space features three large anchors: a giant slide (10 feet high, 10 feet wide, and 20 feet long), with tree stump steps and a tunnel under the slide with giant blue mirrors and removable art panels designed for art classes to paint on; a spinning tree with a 15-foot high rope pine cone that revolves on a metal pole; and a 10-foot high and 20-foot long steel arch climbing structure outfitted with ropes and bungee cables.

The playground also has a turf lawn; a large sandbox with a water feature; a secret garden featuring a willow branch hut; and a trike roadway that allows children to ride new multi-passenger trikes to and from various loading docks. There are also seating areas for older students and adults to observe and hang out.

Sponsored Recommendations

How to design flexible learning spaces that teachers love and use

Unlock the potential of flexible learning spaces with expert guidance from school districts and educational furniture providers. Discover how to seamlessly integrate adaptive ...

Blurring the Lines in Education Design: K–12 to Higher Ed to Corporate America

Discover the seamless integration of educational and corporate design principles, shaping tomorrow's leaders from kindergarten to boardroom. Explore innovative classroom layouts...

Room to Learn: Furniture Solutions for Education

Preparing students for the future. Utilizing our experience in the education market, we offer a dynamic selection of products that pair technology with furniture to help stimulate...

Transforming Education: A Case Study in Progressive Classroom Design

Discover how Workspace Interiors and the Baldwin School District reshaped learning environments in Long Island, New York, creating pedagogically responsive spaces that foster ...