Percussion Play — Beat! A Musical Garden
- Facility Name: Beat! A Musical Garden at Vollrath Park
- City, State: Sheboygan, Wis.
- Cost of Project: $70,000
- Type of Facility: Outdoor Park
- Architectural Firm: Eileen English and the City of Sheboygan Department of Public Works
- Lead Architect Name: Eileen English
- Status: Complete
- Number of Floors: 1 level – outdoors
- % of reader vote: 47.36%
Beat! is a Musical Garden at Vollrath Park that creates a fun and educational experience intended to help people of all ages come together to find their own beat. The garden is comprised of permanently installed outdoor musical instruments following the handicap-accessible sidewalk that arches around Sheboygan's Vollrath Park playground area. Each instrument is paired with a page from a children's storybook following the tale of Coda, the monkey, as Coda learns about the elements of music with his friends. The installation promotes community collaboration and love for music while creating a fun community space for Sheboygan.
Custom Bridges and Boardwalks — Diamond Lake Park
- Facility Name: Diamond Lake Park
- City, State: Minneapolis, Minn.
- Cost of Project: $65,000
- Type of Facility: Outdoor Park
- Architectural Firm: None - Turnkey Solution Provided by Custom Bridges and Boardwalks
- Status: Completed April 2024
- Square Footage: 65 ft. of 6-foot-wide boardwalk, 25-foot-long bridge, and 6-foot-wide timber stairs
Custom Bridges and Boardwalks worked with Minneapolis Parks to replace a worn bridge and access path to Diamond Lake. The 25' x 6' bridge and 65' x 6' boardwalk are supported by our proprietary pan footings, allowing the whole project to be completed in a week and opening up access to the lake that had been closed off. Custom designed and manufactured the bridge and boardwalk components. The project was installed by our in-house construction crew, providing a turnkey solution for Minneapolis Parks.
Dix.Hite + Partners — Unity Corner
- Facility Name: Unity Corner at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park
- City, State: Winter Park, Fla.
- Design Team:
- The City of Winter Park, Fla. – Owner
- Dix.Hite + Partners – Landscape Architecture
- Sculpture Artist – Andrew Luy
The timeless principles of Love, Righteousness, Peace, Justice, Hope, and Dream are embodied and expressed throughout the park and offer opportunities for gathering, dialogue, and introspection. The project involved extensive collaboration with Hannibal Square neighborhood representatives. The engagement process with the community informed the programming and design implementation, ensuring that the community's voice, history, and local input were integral to shaping the design. The main goals for this park are to honor the history of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., implement amenities that speak to the current use of the site, preserve tree canopy for shade, and share the story of the local African American community.
The Unity Corner memorial provides physical space for discussion with ourselves and others about our experiences, responsibilities, and actions to achieve “the dream.” The opportunity here is to create an orchestrated sequence of space to process this dialogue and make a decision or recommit to how we will respond to the injustices around us.
Unity Corner broke ground on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January 2024.
Landmark Studio & Design — Muskego Parks and Recreation
- Facility Name: City of Muskego, Wis. Parks and Recreation Department
- City, State: Muskego, Wis.
- Cost of Project: Park-Style Benches With Engraved Text: $878 each; Plaza Hexagon Table / Universal Access: $1,285 each; EasyCare 32-Gallon Round Waste With Dome Lid: $680 each (green or blue)
- Type of Facility: City Park
- Manufacturer: Landmark Studio & Design
- Status: Complete
Landmark Studio & Design specializes in producing sustainable, high-quality park furnishings like the ones built for the City of Muskego, Wis. Parks and Recreation Department.
For this project, the company custom-made waste and recycling bins, which offer convenient spots for guests to dispose of their refuse, benches—which are as comfortable as they are stylish and offer parkgoers a comfortable place to rest—and picnic tables. Landmark’s products were a perfect fit for the park, as the City of Muskego was able to customize every last detail, including the design, size, and colors of the furnishings. Plus, the company builds its products using GreenCircle-certified HDPE recycled plastic to ensure long-lasting solutions that eliminate waste, conserve resources, and keep plastic out of the environment.
Landmark is proud to offer highly sustainable, durable, and fully customizable products to the city in which it’s based—and is ready to help recreation managers build out their parks, too.