Roberta’s Playground at RIT

Recognizing a need for enhanced creative and natural play experiences at the Margaret’s House Childcare Center, the Rochester Institute of Technology hired a collaborative landscape architect and contractor team to artistically re-imagine a playground that was no longer compliant with safety regulations.

Taking cues from the legacy of a former executive director, Roberta’s Playground interprets her favorite story, ‘The Little Engine That Could,’ into a new play environment that encourages discovery and growth. The playground includes three distinct play areas for separate age groups allowing increased capacity and safety, particularly for the youngest children. Beyond traditional play structures, the design focuses on meaningful sensory experiences for children, including water play with a stone runnel feature and seasonal shrubs with brilliant fall color, ornamental grasses, and flowers that allow children to ‘bravely’ explore nature in a contained and safe manner. The project also corrected existing site drainage failures by designing a lattice drain system that keeps the playground dry and extends the season of use. Significant shade trees were preserved as focal points of the playground, offering natural charm and critical shade on hot summer days.