The Hoa Mai Vietnamese Bilingual Preschool is located in a modern Seattle multistory building occupied this facility with existing fencing around a street level corner plaza as the outdoor play area for their students.  Gloria Hodge, the school’s administrator, asked Lifestyle Landscapes to design and install a variety of elements to transform this uninspiring playground into areas to provide students with opportunities for learning and entertainment.

 

School staff wanted a nature-inspired designs for their playgrounds so their students would have the opportunity to explore, learn, and play in an ever-changing environment. Ultimately, the playground areas were intended to represent a simple, organized version of Vietnamese culture in the midst of a busy urban center.  Spencer Buisson, the Lifestyle Landscapes Designer responsible for this project designed structures and elements that achieved the school’s requirements.

Additional constructed elements included a cedar pergola …

A bamboo forest with smooth river boulders…

 

 

A water feature with a manual water pump…

And a sand play area…

This project was completed in 6 days and met the school’s expectations. The school administrator reports that “The kids and parents love the new playgrounds and the parents are especially impressed with the new pergola”.

If you happen to walk or drive Seattle’s Ranier Avenue South and hear children laughing, playing, and learning, look around and you will see this project.