Landscape architecture firm Hoerr Schaudt has transformed the Wichita Riverfront Museum & Park in Kansas, US, into an educational playscape attraction.
The destination, known as Exploration Place, will comprise of 10 play areas rooted in Kansas's ecology and history.
While designing it, Hoerr Schaudt principal Matthew Macchietto met with nearly a dozen community groups and brought in occupational therapist and inclusive design consultant Ingrid Kanics to ensure the playscape could be enjoyed by people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
"Exploration Place was originally created to inspire a deeper interest in science and technology," said Hoerr Schaudt principal Matthew Macchietto .
"It was important to Hoerr Schaudt to ensure that no one would have to overcome a barrier to experience that wonder. When the park opens, everyone will have access to the same experiences, play opportunities, and wonder."
Attractions include an immersive sensory garden; the Foggy Flint Hills, a hilly topography plaza with tunnels and fog; the Water Play Cascades, a series of channels, boulders, and interactive water play elements that meander down a hillside into a plaza; and the Textron Aviation Flight Adventure, a 50ft control tower and "flying" plane.
Hoerr Schaudt will also plant native and adapted perennials, grasses, and trees.
"Playgrounds are the ultimate medium for egoless design—they prioritize togetherness, community, and expression," said Macchietto. "Hoerr Schaudt's overarching goal is to elevate the quality of life and recreational experiences within these communities, creating civic amenities with a broader purpose."
