Library play area designed by students, inspired by Vermont rivers

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - A new play area at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier is being built for kids, by kids.

While the lawn of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library is currently covered in snow, architecture students from Norwich University have big plans for the small space.

“We envision this project as a playscape, a children’s area for exploration,” said Tolya Stonorov, the associate director of the Norwich School of Architecture.

Stonorov said it’s less about slides and swings and more about imagination, and involving the whole community.

Using a model of the play area, she describes it as being “centered around an accessible path. We have two nodes that are for sitting, for running, for jumping, places for parents and caregivers to pause, places for children to climb through, go over, and then there are the treehouse nodes. Where children can climb and explore.”

The project’s working title, “Little Rapids,” is inspired by the rivers and granite quarries that flow through Vermont.

Library executive director Dan Groberg says the library serves more than 10,000 kids throughout the Montpelier-Barre area every year, and that the idea came from a lack of publicly available play areas for children in the downtown.

“We really see this project as an extension of all the work we’re doing to bring kids here and provide them with fun and enriching experiences,” said Groberg.

The project is headed by the student-led Design + Build Collaborative, where students come up with a design and are directly involved with the building process. They previously built “The Nest” at Union Elementary School’s playground in Montpelier.

Senior architecture student and project manager Brooke Premont said she took inspiration from her own childhood during the design process.

“Having something so close to home is really nice, and reflecting on all the old playgrounds I’ve played in Central Vermont,” she said.

The build is set to start in early March, with an agreed upon budget of $15,000 for materials. The library is working on raising money and applying for relevant grants to avoid impacts on its operating budget.

“We’re really like the community living room,” said Groberg. “Coming up with something fun and creative on the lawn is really a symbol of welcoming.”

“I would imagine by end of May everything will be complete,” said Stonorov. “We have to wait for the snow to melt!”