REPEAT CLIENT: OUR LADY OF THE LAKE | LOCATION: BATON ROUGE, LA
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Greenleaf's role at Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital was a little different from a typical healthcare project. The team was asked to design three playhouses as part of an outdoor playground serving children staying at or visiting the hospital. The goal was simple. The structures needed to be fun, playful, and clearly removed from the normal atmosphere of a hospital.
Greenleaf designed three lighthearted playhouses with intentionally wonky proportions, skewed forms, asymmetrical openings, varied materials, and bright colors. Each structure has a distinct character while sharing the same playful design language.
The playhouses are positioned along a winding wooden path surrounded by landscaping and turfed berms, allowing children to move between a series of small destinations rather than a single play structure. Different shapes, materials, and colors give each playhouse its own experience, while the irregular forms tie the collection together.
The project gave Greenleaf an opportunity to approach healthcare design from a child's perspective. For children receiving treatment, the playground provides a place to step outside, explore, use their imagination, and spend some time in an environment that does not feel like a hospital. Sometimes the right design problem is simply figuring out how to make a kid want to go outside and play.
