Our Sites

Perforated metal inspires creative play

The fun begins with lily pad steps, followed by imaginative stops including “peep-through” sections, a bridge, and a musical zone with chimes. “Talk Tubes” send sounds of voices and laughter from one end of the play system to the other.

Balfour Brickner Early Childhood Center at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan wanted a playground system suitable for the rooftop of the building that houses the center.

The center preferred a custom-designed system rather than the standard playground equipment universally available. Center leaders also wanted to incorporate imaginative and art-inspired play stations to help kids ages 3 to 5 develop gross and fine motor skills and provide activities for children with different abilities and interests. Finally, they wanted the play system to offer a beautiful, sculptural experience that adults could enjoy as well.

Designing to Inspire Imagination

Durability, color, design ingenuity, and safety were essential to developing a play system that would include many interesting and stimulating play hubs to activate a child’s imagination. And with the roof’s space constraints and single-door entry to consider, the custom design needed components that could be assembled on-site.

This vision led center leaders to May + Watkins, a turnkey design and fabrication firm in Athens, N.Y. Company partners Carol May and Tim Watkins create, fabricate, and install studio and commissioned works for public art projects, interpretive exhibits, and multisensory environments for children’s museums.

May + Watkins worked with specialists, including the center’s staff and other experts in early childhood development, to create concept sketches, models, plans, elevations, and construction drawings.

Bringing Magic to Life with Metal

When it came time to turn the design plans into reality, the team turned to McNICHOLS® Co. in Tampa, Fla., to provide perforated metal in stainless steel for the heart of the play system, as well as TRACTION TREAD™ for the flooring.

The perforated metal is a staggered pattern of 1⁄4-inch round holes on 3⁄8-in. centers, featuring openings small enough to prevent catching active little fingers. Its 40 percent open area provides air circulation and allows visibility.

The flooring is made of hot-rolled steel, 11-gauge mill surface, with 4 percent open area. It was installed with the rough side facing up, then covered with 3⁄4-in., poured-in-place rubber composite to provide safe landings in case of falls.

More than nine sheets of perforated metal cover about 200 square feet of fanciful and functional components in the 15-ft.-high, 50-ft.-long, 10-ft.-wide playset.

The system was powder-coated and delivered in sections small enough to fit through a standard 6-ft. 8-in. by 3-ft. door. “We built it in pieces with the idea of fitting through a tight space, then took it apart to send out for powder coating,” said Watkins.

The complete Roof Top Play assembly invites children to climb, crawl, and slide with features including a crawl tube, a slide, a fireman’s pole, a rope climb, a ring climb, monkey bars, and a climbing net.

Framing for the various metal shapes was created from Schedule 40 black pipe, like that used for plumbing. Once the pipe pieces were bent and shaped to fit, the pipe assembly was sent to the galvanizer and then to the powder coater.

“The entire system is designed to last as long as possible,” said Watkins, noting the rust-resistant qualities of galvanized black pipe and stainless steel. “We frequently use stainless steel perforated metal,” May added. “It provides the look that we want, and it has durability and strength.”

Lori Schneider, center director, said that working collaboratively with the team of designers was inspiring. “They were able to understand our pedagogical philosophy and translate it into a magical place for children to develop their physical strength, take age-appropriate risks, and foster their imaginations.”

McNICHOLS Co., 2502 N. Rocky Point Drive #750, Tampa, FL 33607, 800-237-3820, www.mcnichols.com