2018 Archive : Groves Park

Project Details

Fabric 1

Commercial 95
Producer: Gale Pacific USA Inc.
Supplier: Wholesale Shade

Engineer Name 1
Nick Keizer

Engineer Company 1
RNK Structural Engineering

Design Name
Ashley Carmona

Design Company
SHADE Industries

Architect Name
Darlene Showalter

Architect Company
McGann & Associates

Fabrication Company
SHADE Industries

Project Manager Company
SHADE Industries

Installation Company
SHADE Industries

Please describe the project specifications

Six (6) steel columns and three (3) custom shade sails provide shade over a newly remodeled community playground, providing approximately 2,423 square feet of shade.

What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

While renovating a small community park in Tucson, Arizona, a local Landscape Architect saw a need to provide shade over a new playground structure she was proposing. During Arizona summers, playground equipment, such as slides, monkey bars, and swings, can reach dangerous temperatures and burn the children playing on them. Observations showed the park was heavily used between 9am and 3pm nearly year round from September to April.

What is unique or complex about the project?

This project is very unique in that these shade sails appear to be floating. Long cables connect the corners of the shade sails to the columns standing around the perimeter of the playground. Although this effect is visually appealing, the real reason for the design was because our columns could not be installed any closer to the playground equipment. Fall zones require a certain distance under and around equipment that children may fall onto or run into. Because our shade sails needed to stay in place to provide the most functional shade, and the columns were required to be in the perimeter of the playground area, the design resulted with sails “floating” over the recreation area.

What were the results of the project?

Shade studies were performed on all design concepts to focus the cast shadows on the equipment during that period of time that the client wanted to focus on. Because of time invested in the design and planning portions of this project, the shade provided is very close to what was anticipated. Neighborhood children are now able to play on the playground without parents fearing dangerous surface burns just by sliding down the slide.

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