Splash Pads

What do you like about splash pads and community water parks? How can we make them exceptional, sustainable and multigenerational? What are some of the best examples around the world? How would a year-round splash pad function? Questions, questions, more questions!!

Splash Pads are typically designed as narrow-use day time spaces, for younger audiences in the summer. However, with an increase in extreme weather events such as heat waves, heat domes and colder temperatures, cities are being faced with real challenges in providing places for people to cool off or warm up, stay safe, healthy and connect to community and nature. In this Studio, we jammed on how to extend the use of splash pads so that they function all day and night, and provide a place for fun activity and respite for young people, adults and elders.

Each of the four groups: Art, Ecosystem Renewal, Kinetic, Teaching/Learning, considered how to design exceptional, sustainable and multigenerational splash pads under the criteria of All Day All Night All Seasons All Ages All Abilities.