The owners of the newly opened Cherokee Indian Hospital in Cherokee, NC were searching for natural playground elements that would match their facility’s elegant outdoor aesthetic. They had seen exactly what they wanted on a visit to Valley Native Primary Care Center in Wasilla, AK: soft-sculpted bears! But they couldn’t find the company that created them.

So, they called local playground designer and manufacturer, Asheville Playgrounds.

Asheville Playgrounds owners Evelyn Anderson and Jerry Hajek are experts at creating lovely-yet-fun natural playgrounds.

“Natural playgrounds are an increasingly popular concept in the playground industry,” explains Evelyn. “Parents like the idea of kids being surrounded by a wooden play structure in a natural setting with sand, trees and plants all around.”

When she got the call from Cherokee Indian Hospital asking for the same bears they had seen in Alaska, Evelyn went on a bear hunt.

“I did a ton of research!” she says. “I found bronze bears but they insisted the bears they had seen were soft. Finally, I Googled the clinic in Alaska and I found a story about the architect who designed it. I called him and he said, ‘They are soft sculptures.’ But he didn’t know the name of the company that made them.

“So, I Googled, ‘soft sculptures’ and Soft Play immediately came up,” she says, adding, “There was a picture of those bears right on their website! I called them and said, ‘I’ve been looking all over for you!’”

Thus, a new partnership was born. Soft Play and Asheville Playgrounds teamed up to provide the Cherokee Indian Hospital with the darling soft-sculpted bears that they had sought.

Located outside the facility next to a two-story glass atrium, the bears rest on springy poured-in-place flooring that was designed to look like a stream runs through the play area. Children can play on the bears and romp on the ground without hurting themselves.

Evelyn says, “I would love to use the Soft Play products again. They can do very natural-looking designs, as well as cartoony. They are perfect for ADA-accessible play areas where you want kids to be able to pull themselves up on the elements but not hurt themselves if they fall.”

Likewise, Soft Play’s Business Development Associate Steven Wilson says, “What made this project extra fun was the partnership with Evelyn. She’s a wonderful person to work with and very motivated to create unique environments for kids. Soft Play looks forward to doing more work with her.”

ABOUT ASHEVILLE PLAYGROUNDS

Asheville Playgrounds creates spectacular design-built playgrounds, tree houses and gazebos. Located in Asheville, NC – an artistic haven known for quality woodworking – our designs are tailored to your aesthetics, needs and budget. We typically build with pressure-treated wood but also use natural materials like locust tree trunks, rhododendron, and mountain laurel branches to add real mountain flavor to your custom playground. Visit our website for more information about our one-of-a-kind natural playgrounds.

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