Designing a playground for the kids of Joplin: Dream, Play, Love

When Mark and I heard that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was planning to build 7 houses in 7 days in Joplin for families affected by the tornado on May 22, 2011, we were volunteering at an Extreme Makeover project in Delaware, where we encountered an earthquake and were evacuated for a hurricane. And a tornado touched down near that project, too. A dramatic project? Yes.

But not like the absolute humbling devastation of what happened in Joplin, where 90 percent of the kids in one school district lost their homes. Even looking at the aftermath six months later, I can’t imagine what that day in May was like. And from the stories of residents, and the tears in the eyes of volunteers when a siren was heard while we worked, I could feel a glimpse of their story and their strength.

For us, EM:HE has always inspired. Every show features a story of one family. Every volunteer on every show has their own special story of why they are there. And each story is just as moving as the next.

So every time we had set foot on an EM:HE jobsite, we kept going back to one idea. We wanted to build a special project for one of the families. We love building with wood, and we love building outdoor projects. And we know we wouldn’t want to impose on the producers and builders who have the home building part fine-tuned into an impressive orchestration of scheduling time, talent, tools, supplies, and hard-work.

But the 7 houses in Joplin was bigger than one playset. And so of course, we had a bigger idea. We set out to see if we could make a playground happen. That way we could help make a difference for everyone in Joplin.

When we approached our friends at Real Outdoor Living to see if they would donate wood, and then when producers and the city said they were open to the idea, I set about to create a design that was unique to Joplin. I poured through the stories, old photos, historical records. I created a dossier more than an inch-think of notes, trying to arrive at the heart of their city and fully understand how the tornado has impacted their lives.

But I couldn’t forget the goal of creating a playground that’s a fun place for kids to dream, play, and love.

The design question that I posed was this: How do I create a place where kids are protected inside their sweet joy of fun, while honoring the reason why we were there?

It had to more than just slides and monkey bars; and it couldn’t be just a somber memorial. The structure needed to be a celebration of the city and give comfort to the families who visited.

In the media interviews I’ve done, I’ve been asked to describe how I came up with the design. If you are familiar with the devastating tornado that ripped through the City of Joplin, and if you’ve been there, you can imagine designing a fun place at the spot where the 1-mile-wide tornado turned into the EF-5 tornado, the park where a woman’s body was found who was driving to pick up pizza for her family’s dinner, and across the street from a hospital where people were sucked out of the building, and 90 percent of the kids in the school district were homeless after the storm, I can say it was not easy.

When you see the playground at Joplin’s historic Cunningham Park, and if you ever get to visit in person, you can walk through a little piece of the history of their city, their tragedy, and their hope.

The greatest joy I received was when I saw the adults from Joplin see the design elements that paid honor to their town and the tragedy, and stop in their tracks, nodding knowingly. And seeing kids run at the playground at full-tilt boogey to ring the bell and use the slides.

We’ve been lucky to be a part of four of the 200 EM:HE projects. But seeing the smiles of the kids in Joplin has been more than luck. It was a dream.

Dream, Play, Love.

Teaser note: When you watch the 200th episode, look for the aerial shots of the playground. From how we used the wood, to the name ‘Boomtown’ that I chose, to the placement of elements, to the facades, signs, and types of slides, there is a story in every part of the design, including the plan view. We’ll post those stories after the episode airs.