Great Parks of Hamilton County Sharon Centre Playground

Great Parks of Hamilton County Sharon Centre Playground Sharonville, Ohio

Services Provided

Landscape Architecture
Nature Play Design
Construction Documentation

People Involved

Andy Knight
Jack McGlasson
Jordan Furlong

Awards

2024 OCASLA Merit Award

County-wide comprehensive engagement and assessment of individual parks and facilities.

MKSK worked with Great Parks of Hamilton County (GPCH) to develop both the GPHC Comprehensive Master Plan as well as the GPHC Park and Facility Master Plans for the entire park system. Several recommendations resulted from those plans including a new nature-based playground at the Sharon Woods park located in on the west side of Cincinnati. The challenge offered was to develop a unique nature playground that served as a destination for children and families throughout the region and provide educational experiences that were unique to the park.

The design team and Great Parks were inspired by the hydrology and karst landscape that offered the unique landscape for this park. Weaving throughout the park, the landscape and ecology of the Sharon Creek corridor offered several design ideas including the form and reaches of the creek channel, the karst geology along its banks, the lush tree canopy throughout, and the wildlife that inhabits the corridor including birds and crayfish.

Using these natural characteristics as design inspiration, the playground design offers an immersive ecological and landscape play experience for all ages and abilities. From the play nests that hover above the playground to the crayfish and ripples play features, the design of Sharon Centre’s new play experience provides that “wow factor” and embraces the unique sense of place within the park.

Integrating an inclusive and continuous play experience for all, the new playground is design to be nearly 100% accessible while not consuming space with long ramps and landings. Accessible circulation is integrated into landscape paths and topography, ensuring that all kids and their guardians feel welcome to participate at their own pace.

MKSK led a collaborative team of play feature designers, fabricators, and engineers provided the comprehensive services that were required for this project to be unique, safe, and feasible.