A playground rooted in experience and imagination: children at Pomonok deserve a space where play is not only accessible, but expansive where sensory-friendly equipment, quiet nooks, and open-ended elements invite creative exploration. Our design supports a spectrum of play styles, from high-energy movement to contemplative rest. Features will be selected and situated based on feedback from youth and caregivers, ensuring relevance to the people who use the space most.

Our work will build on the feedback that has already been gathered prior to the RFP. Ideas for elements like the community-requested water feature will be retained, studied and integrated into the design. This can be done in order to emphasize a strategy of intentional space-making. Rather than emphasizing objects and furniture - for example, turtles, hexapods, and benches - the design should be built around the creation of a compelling space with many possible uses where objects become compositional moments within a larger landscape.

We are also interested in exploring ways to use sustainable products that advance the material legacy of NYCHA playspaces. For example, carbon-negative cork surfaces like Amorim’s Corkeen are purpose made for playgrounds while providing a safe, durable, and attractive ground that can be shaped in multiple ways. In past projects D/A has collaborated with partners Trilox, a sustainable timber supplier, to source wood using urban forestry strategies that turn storm-felled trees into outdoor furniture and other design elements. Strategies like these could be applied in compelling ways at Pomonok. Throughout the process, a dedicated community engagement liaison on our team will help maintain communication, build trust, and ensure participation remains accessible across language and age groups. From initial engagement to post-occupancy feedback, our team will ensure that the voices of Pomonok residents shape every decision and that this new playground becomes a lasting space of connection, joy, and belonging. Our design approach is deeply rooted in collaboration and meaningful engagement. We understand that creating lasting, impactful spaces requires more than listening; it demands actively facilitating dialogue and co-creation with the community.