Urban forest playground

摘要

The central message of "Tree Adventure" at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is: "We need trees and the urban forest needs us." The centerpiece, "Out on a Limb," is a 450-foot- (137-m-) long walkway to the treetops, and "Squirrel Scramble" is an open net climb suspended 50 feet (15 m) above the forest floor. Completed in July 2009, Philadelphia-based Metcalfe Architecture & Design worked closely with the structural engineer, CVM Engineering, Oaks, Pa., to design a structure that did not hang on the trees for risk of killing the trees and/or having a falling tree destroy the structure, but instead consists of tall towers and ramps that weave the way through the forest. If a tree hits and damages one part of Out on a Limb, the other parts will continue to stand alone.