In this first of Swing Forward, co-hosts James Siegal and Jen DeMelo of KABOOM! speak with leading playground manufacturers in the U.S. and around the world about the playground industry and advancing playspace equity. In this episode, we talk with Nathan Schleicher about Earthscape Play's approach to building custom-made, wood-forward playgrounds that capture the imagination and are responsive to community needs.
Nathan Schleicher
Creative Director, Earthscape Play
Nathan Schleicher is an American industrial designer living and working in Ontario, Canada and designing for projects across the globe. As the Creative Director at Earthscape Play, Nathan collaborates with landscape architects, architects, artists, city leaders, and children to bring unique one-of-a-kind play projects to diverse communities. His hand sketches are often the early sparks of the iterative design process. The resulting playable architecture now lives in communities across North America, from Presidio National Park in San Francisco to sθәqәlxenәm ts'exwts'áxwi7 (Rainbow Park) in Vancouver.
About Earthscape Play
Earthscape is a leader in the renaissance of custom playgrounds, incorporating natural materials, creative site-based design, and the highest quality construction. Our purpose is to design and build artful wood-forward playscapes that stimulate imaginations, offer physical challenge and beneficial risk, foster social interaction and creative play.
Links
www.earthscapeplay.com
www.linkedin.com/company/earthscape
www.instagram.com/earthscapeplay/
About Swing Forward
Swing Forward is a podcast series from KABOOM! on the future of playgrounds and playspace equity, co-hosted by James Siegal and Jen DeMelo.
About KABOOM!
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to create or transform 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that nearly 12 million kids have equitable access to the critical benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. In 2022, KABOOM! launched the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity to accelerate its mission in 25 high-priority locations over five years. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
