Ben Franklin School Playground

Early Childhood Education Through Play

Baltimore, MD

Client

United Way of Central Maryland / Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT)

Team

Plano-Coudon, MRA Civil Engineering

Cost

$150,000

Services

Wayfinding/Educational Signage Design, Public Art Facilitation , Park System Master Planning

Floura Teeter collaborated with COPT in the development of a play space for use by families and children attending the Ben Franklin Center for Community Schools. The Ben Center is a wraparound program provided by the award-winning public Baltimore City high school, Ben Franklin Center at Brooklyn/Curtis Bay and operated by United Way of Central Maryland. The Center provides care and early education services within the high school helping students stay on track and obtain their high school diplomas.

Water Feature Flower Swing Snail Springers Ribbon Cutting

Floura Teeter provided pro bono design services to COPT, who organized the design and construction effort through a collaboration of professional volunteers and donated construction services and products. The play space was specifically designed to nurture the developing mobility of young children, promote both parallel play and group learning and provide small spaces for ‘visiting’ parents and family members to bond with their children during breaks throughout the day. It was important for United Way educators to allow children daily opportunities to play, learn and experience the outdoors throughout the seasons. The secure, enclosed space provides a variety of play structures, hardscape surfaces including turf and tyke track, interactive water feature, reading nooks and opportunities for art.

Plano-Coudon has partnered with Floura Teeter to build two playgrounds for the Ben Center program for the United Way of Central Maryland. Floura Teeter did an amazing job designing the play spaces and worked with the team to meet the tight project schedule and budget constraints. Both projects were a huge success.

Cliff Milstead, Division Leader, Plano Coudon Construction

Project Team