The Public Workshop is finishing construction on
Philly's first GreenBuild Legacy Project. In the coming years, this play structure, located in
Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse, is expected to engage hundreds of thousands of local users.
The concept was selected by
Delaware Valley Green Building Council. This November, they are hosting the international
GreenBuild Expo in partnership with the City of Philadelphia. Previous legacy projects in other cities have largely focused on urban agriculture.
Alex Gilliam, founder of Public Workshop,
announced plans for the project back in March. Since then, the organization's "
Building Heroes" -- young adult and teenage project leaders -- have created an "adventure playground" using salvaged wood and fallen trees.
"We got excited about the potential of leaving a lasting project at Smith playground, but also engaging youth," says Fern Gookin, director of sustainability at
Revolution Recovery and chair of the Legacy Project Committee.
The group's work transforms the natural landscape through designated play areas -- "The Jungle" has bendable beams that can be woven into caves, tunnels and huts; "The Forest" offers reclaimed materials for building temporary structures; and "The Whirlpool" is a shifting deck wrapped around a large tree, begging the user to look up at the canopy.
During the design-build process, the Public Workshop engaged local community groups and citywide organizations, including
Urban Blazers and
Mural Arts. Final workdays and upcoming Legacy Project events are open to the public.
"During the GreenBuild Expo, the spotlight on a national and international level will be on Philadelphia," says Gookin. "The Legacy Project will live on after the conference packs up and moves away."
Source: Fern Gookin, Legacy Project Comittee; Alex Gilliam, Public Workshop
Writer: Dana Henry