Cleared for Takeoff

When we heard that neighbourhood kids were crowing around the fence during construction, we knew we had designed a hit playground, but now that it is open, our latest project is turning planespotters into frequent fliers.

For almost 100 years, Nova Scotia's community of Eastern Passage has been a synonymous with flight, starting with an American air station in 1918, to to navy helicopter squadrons today. With the area's aviation heritage mind, Ekistics designed an airfield-themed playground—an airport at children's scale. Five wind socks show wind speed and heading, and runways crisscross the site, complete with accurate markings. The playground is also the first in Nova Scotia to use EasyTurf grass play surface, in eye-popping colours that have proven to be a magnet for neighbourhood kids.