The Boston Society of Landscape Architects (BSLA) recently announced their 2019 Design Award winners. I'm so glad that G2 Collaborative Landscape Architecture (G2CLA) has won a 2019 Design Merit award for their Harvard Yard Child Care Center playground project in Cambridge, MA. In this project, the team at G2CLA utilized an innovative playground design to convert a rectangular space between two Harvard University buildings into a creative, engaging, safe and fun playground experience for the kids. This design allows the kids to engage and interact in an active and constructive play which is entirely different from how kids engage with the traditional playground kits we normally see.

It was a lot of fun photographing this for G2CLA last summer. I got to be a kid and follow the kids around as they splashed with water in the fountains, rode around in their bikes, and climbed up and down the vertical play elements. Because of the location and orientation of this space between two buildings there are hard shadows in the morning and afternoon. The only time window a majority of the playground has direct sunlight is from 11am-1pm; not the best of times to make nice photographs. Despite the harsh and contrasty light I was able to make use of the colorful elements and surfaces, the surrounding trees and buildings, the light and shadows, and the playfulness of the kids engaging in their activities to make some interesting photographs of this fun playground.

More information about the project can be found at G2CLA's website - http://www.g2cla.com/hyccc

And here's a link to an article in the Boston Real Estate Times about the BSLA 2019 Design Awards
https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/boston-society-of-landscape-architects-announces-2019-design-awards/