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December 2020 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 71 P aco Sanchez Park in west Denver fully re- opened in September after the completion of an $11 million, two-phased makeover led by Denver Parks and Recreation. Key among the city’s goals for the project is the promotion of health and wellness by encouraging physical activity for all ages and abilities, in addition to responding to com- munity needs and desires. As a design firm that’s been involved in the creation of numer- ous developments, public places and parks throughout Colorado and the West, the project presented Dig Stu- dio with a tremendous opportunity to explore how we could engage all gen- erations of people, and to “Re-Imagine Play” through design. The result shows how amenities available for everyone to enjoy, no matter one’s age, ability, or income level, can benefit the entire com- munity. Community input was prioritized at the start, and this feedback helped identify a strong desire to honor the park’s namesake, Paco Sanchez. Sanchez launched the first Spanish language radio station in Denver in 1954, going on to become a beloved civic leader and state representative. His love of music and connection to the community as a DJ inspired the design team to identi- fy broadcasting as the primary theme. The spirit of the park promotes the rich Hispanic legacy of the commu- nity through the use of color and form. Public art and one-of-a-kind play elements provide Paco Sanchez Park a strong sense of place. We set a goal to manifest accessibility, inclusivity, and different levels of physical challenge through the de- sign, while working within the constraints of site and budget. Challenged with a 10% slope, but with more than 12 acres to work with, Paco Sanchez Park became the ideal opportunity to implement a Play Loop concept that helps keep families actively moving throughout the park. The loop also includes distinct play pod features along its route and is anchored at the top by the iconic Microphone Play Tower, which was designed in collab- oration with PORT Urbanism and Landscape Structures Inc. The redesign organizes a series of play pods along a continuous one-fifth-mile-long zigzag loop path, provid- ing Americans with Disabilities Act access from the top plateau down the slope to a flat expanse 45 feet below. Launching from the highest point on the site, a play bridge leads to the Microphone Play Tower, which over- looks the Music Bowl and zigzag Play Loop below. The design transforms formerly unused sloped lawns into Paco Sanchez Park Redesign Honors Namesake’s Music, Broadcasting Legacy Laurel Raines, ASLA, PLA Principal Partner, Dig Studio Looking up or down the hill, visitors are visually drawn and invit- ed to explore from pod to pod .