Location
1755 S 32nd St Milwaukee, WI 53215
Client
Milwaukee Public Schools
Sector
K-12 Education, Parks & Playgrounds
Team
Intertek PSI, Poblocki Paving, Quorum Architects, VIA CDC
The renovations of the ALBA School and Burnham Playfield – two properties located across the street from one another – were part of Milwaukee Recreation’s initiative to upgrade all outdoor playfields and fieldhouses within the Milwaukee Public Schools district. The scope of the redevelopment focused on creative play opportunities, innovative water feature elements, recreational amenities, rain gardens, and placemaking and identity features. This resulted in new playground equipment, vivid painted play surfaces, a splash pad, basketball courts, a soccer field, and more.
The community was an integral part of the design process. Bilingual public engagement meetings were held in English and Spanish to help select the final design and programming for both sites. Drawing heavily from the community, the Burnham Playfield design is based on Hispanic nursery rhymes and the ALBA School design is based on historic Aztec culture.
Partially funded through a Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District (MMSD) Green Infrastructure Grant, creative stormwater solutions were a top priority, with proposed elements such as bioswales and permeable sport courts.
