Designing a playground for a luxury estate or resort is a lot like choosing pieces of art for its lobbies and atriums. You need to consider the aesthetics of the piece and how it impacts guests’ and residents’ impressions of the property.
You can’t just choose a standard playset; like every other detail, your playground needs to elevate the landscape in some way. It’s crucial to make choices that increase the perception of wealth, exclusivity, and taste.
At the end of the day, however, you also need to create a playground that children actually like playing on. If the equipment isn’t functionally appropriate, you risk guest complaints , or worse, maintenance issues and injuries. The right designs seamlessly fuse practicality and fun with artistry and sophistication. In this article, we’ll share the most important elements and tips you’ll need to design a playground for a high-end, luxury setting.
Incorporating Old Standbys
First things first, you usually need to include at least some ordinary playground components, like a commercial swing set, slide, and monkey bars. Kids have a strong need for familiarity, and it’s more or less essential to give them something that’s easy for them to understand.
Include the usual suspects, and you’ll ward off any potential complaints that your playground is too elite or pretentious. Remember, the goal is to strike that perfect balance of form and function in design.
That’s not to say you can’t dress up these features with thematic elements or other artistic design choices. Indeed, some themed commercial playground equipment can fit seamlessly into a resort environment , think jungle and pirate themes by the pool.
A more interesting challenge, however, is to incorporate these pre-built pieces into bespoke sculptures and structures. Remember, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel , or the slide or the merry-go-round.
Natural Resources and Biophilic Aesthetics
Biophilic , that is, natural, organic-looking designs , have become a staple of almost any high-brow setting. Think of all the buildings you’ve seen with floor-to-ceiling windows to let in as much natural sunlight as possible. The hanging plants, and entire walls, trellises, and skylights dripping with greenery. The trees jutting out of the floor and greenhouse-like atriums in the middle of business and hotel settings. The indoor fountains with their floating lily pads.
The point is that, in this day and age, anything that gives “natural” or “sustainable” instantly elevates any design concept. If your playground is outdoors, you already have a leg up: it’s easy to incorporate lots of tastefully arranged greenery. However, you can add another layer of elegance and refinement by using playground equipment that’s actually constructed out of natural elements. Think climbing structures made of natural wood, rope swings, and more.
Interactive Art Exhibitions
Another way to upscale a playground design is to treat it like a piece of contemporary art, playing with color, shape, and light. Consider contracting with artists to create one-of-a-kind features like geometric climbing structures or interactive light-up components. Take inspiration from playgrounds in Europe and Asia, where artists have created giant creatures, plants, and whole worlds out of playground designs. Let your designers’ imaginations run free.
Remember, however, that you should always be designing for children more so than for adults. While your design should be tasteful and creative, it also needs to be interesting and functional. That means not only being compelling to play with, but also providing opportunities for exercise and to practice creativity, agility, and problem-solving. Don’t just make something that looks good; try incorporating puzzles, musical components, and mental and physical challenges.
Make it Adult-Friendly
This article has talked a lot about the necessity of making a playground kid-friendly even as you create a more aesthetically-pleasing design. What hasn’t yet been discussed, however, is the possibility of creating designs that please and relax adults. While (once again) your design has to appeal to children, that doesn’t mean you can’t include adults in the fun. Consider incorporating some elements designed to involve the grown-ups in the action and support their relaxation.
For instance, you could add hammocks, larger swings, chaise lounges and other relaxation spaces for adults to congregate. These could easily be incorporated into your “green” design for a jungle resort type of look and feel. You could also add in a few adult-friendly games , think giant Jenga or chess , to keep the parents entertained. Or simply include some fire pits, picnic tables, and a handful of seating options so everyone can congregate comfortably in luxury.
Adding More Touches of Taste
To give your playground an even more high-end look and feel, add touches of light, motion, texture, and sound. Consider features that light up or glow, reflective ponds or fountains that gently spritz passersby, or sound effects like forest or nature recordings. Look closely at the colors you choose or the sensations when someone touches a playground component. Every piece should look, feel, move, and even sound like grace and elegance, like any top shelf item.
Remember, a luxury experience isn’t just about having the right product; it’s about every last little detail. Consider the process that goes into creating your favorite designer handbag, high heels, watch, or luxury car. The gears run smoothly. The stitches are flawless. The smell of the leather is intoxicating. Designing any aspect of an exclusive resort or estate should be just the same , everything should be done with the utmost care and attention.
