Lake Olathe Park in Olathe Kansas features a 170-acre lake surrounded by a 258-acre community park. The 2019 improvements include not only the nature play area, but also a new swim beach, docks, hiking trails, and a floating obstacle course! The play area was meant to give kids a chance to connect to nature and natural materials.
The design focused on using stone and timber removed from the park development. The giant limestone boulders made a interesting and changing base for the climbing area. A tower, bridge and giant slide finished out the physical play area. there is also a natural creek feature that is fed by a hand pump. The water traverses through a number of elevated water tables then enters a natural creek bed. Surrounding this area are opportunities for imaginative play including; fort building platforms, a living willow dome and rolling grassy hills. For quieter interactions there is a natural maze or labyrinth. Native grasses hug the stone paths that traverse gentle topography and lead to art features.
Learning Landscapes Design led the community through a series of workshops, followed by conceptual design, construction documents and construction support.
PROJECT INFO
Construction Cost – $300,000
Date of Completion – 2019
Services Provided – Community Involvement, Landscape Architectural Concept Design, Cost Estimating, Construction Documents, Construction Assistance.
Project Team
- City of Lake Olathe
- Learning Landscapes Design
- Peterson Structural Engineers
- Titan Construction
- Whole Trees
