Spohn Ranch - Brief Profile and Case Study

''At Spohn Ranch we take great pride in leading skatepark projects from the conceptual planning stages all the way through to the contests, demos, and skate camps that become a part of everyday life at our skateparks. The skateparks we build are about much more than installing a few ramps and leaving town. For us, it’s about watching kids transform into young adults as they become involved in the civic process, seeing a skatepark bring a community together, and most of all, being amazed at the high-flying stunts we see in the photos and videos that kids send to us.

"As the first licensed and bonded municipal skatepark builder in the United States, we have seen it all when it comes to skateparks. We can provide as little or as much help as you need, and have the experience necessary to identify potential problems and design responsible solutions. We know how to represent action sports in an authentic way – by creating facilities that are a perfect fit, not only in terms of functionality, but also as testament to the creative and progressive spirit of these

Spohn Ranch has always been at the forefront of skatepark design. We first set the standard as the designers of the X-Games vert ramps and street courses. Over the years, as we’ve provided competition courses for the best skateboarders in the world, we’ve incorporated their feedback into each new version of our skatepark equipment.

Aaron Spohn has traveled the world, visiting and photographing over 2,500 skateparks and skatespots. He incorporates these unique elements into his street plaza designs, creating instant classics like the LA Skate Plaza’s Bent Penny. Each of our engineers and designers participates in one or more of the sports we serve. They understand skating techniques and the physics involved. This knowledge is the source of our constantly evolving line of superior products—from the faithful reproduction of traditional obstacles to the creation of unique new forms of skating terrain.

We engineer our products to the highest standards, using precise fit and finish to maximize performance and durability. The expert design and quality of our products minimizes the risk of injury and creates a safer skating environment.

This expertise permits us to create ideal course geometry based on obstacle selection and user demographics. It’s easy to say layout is important, but it takes a depth of experience like ours to have mastered the complexities and subtleties of park configuration.

Our design philosophy balances the practical needs of the Town, the preferences of skaters and strengths of the site to create an ideal, custom park for every client. While many designers see each project as another opportunity to advance their own design experiments or express their vision, we see ourselves as servants to the Town and skaters. Our idea of success is to find out your vision and make it a reality.

Cost Control – One of the things we pride ourselves on is completing projects not only on time, but on budget, without change-orders. This is due to a careful planning process, which involves calculating all our costs and the peripheral costs before finalizing any design or cost estimates. With other designers, costs will increase during the construction process as unforeseen items are discovered, and the design is dumbed-down to stick to the original budget, or the budget for the initial design is increased with change-orders. Too many designers over-promise and under-deliver.

Spohn Ranch has accurately cost estimated over $16,000,000 in skatepark construction since 1992. In all these jobs, Spohn Ranch has never requested a change order on a job. All 450+ parks have been completed on budget. To insure that the site amenities and non-skatepark elements of the park are accurately budgeted, David Tripoli, an estimator with 10-years experience at ValleyCrest Landscaping, one of the nation’s largest contractors, will estimate costs at every phase of planning and design.

Compliance and Liability Protection – Spohn Ranch’s experience in designing and building skateparks for cities covered by various Insurance Pools lets us minimize and eliminate any unforeseen liability. In addition, Aaron Spohn is a senior member of the ASTM Board governing skatepark standards. His design oversight will ensure that all of our skateparks meet all appropriate standards including ASTM, CPSC, and ADA.

Best use of Site – Our basic design philosophy is “We want to build your community’s skatepark, not build our skatepark in your community”. By letting the site dictate our design, we make use of its advantages and plan around its weaknesses. Instead of designing with a particular build method in mind, we believe in a balanced approach to skatepark design that ensures we are creating the best skating environment for your site. We will adapt to your project’s unique conditions.

Creativity – At Spohn Ranch, we take great pride in being able to continuously redefine the limits of skatepark design. As a testament to the innovative act of skating, we aspire to create one-of-a-kind skatepark solutions that will inspire the most creative forms of skating. At the same time though, we do not design wild concepts just for the sake of being different – we do it with purpose and with a strong focus on safety, functionality and feasibility.

All-inclusive – Through our community design workshops and online social networking, we will do our very best to create a design that satisfies everyone’s wants and needs. We design skateparks that challenge and enhance the skating of all skill levels, styles and age groups. Before moving forward with a design, we will make sure everyone’s voice is heard and confirm that we are not solely catering to a specific group of users, such as older bowl skaters.

Building a positive action sports community – When designing skateparks we aim to create facilities that will become the hub of a thriving action sports community. Action sports enthusiasts of all styles and backgrounds can feel comfortable learning new tricks and progressing, while making new friends and gaining a sense that they are a part of a unique collective of individuals. To ensure our skateparks can remain vibrant for generations to come, our design philosophy has a strong emphasis on creating endless possibilities within the park. An uninspiring skatepark design with predictable lines will no longer provide skaters with the challenges they seek once the newness of the park has worn off. With each skatepark we design, we hope that we are creating something completely unique and contributing to the legacy of action sports.

Inviting recreational space – Our approach to skatepark design involves looking at the bigger picture, by creating public space that is integrated with its surrounding environment and inviting to more than just skaters. Our skatepark designs aim to bridge the gap between the action sports community and the community at large. We hope to accomplish this by creating the most interesting and interactive space in the public domain.

Reflecting local culture – During the designing and planning stages of skatepark projects, we take inspiration from local culture and thoughtfully incorporate it into our designs. Whether it is a replica of a local skate spot, a unique sculpture, or integrated landscaping – our skateparks tell a distinct story. With a deep respect for local tradition, we are able to create skateparks that the entire community can embrace and reinterpret in their own inspiring ways."

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DAYBREAK SCULPTURE GARDEN

City: South Jordan, Utah

Size: Winding park path

Year Built: 2008

"The park that changed the way the world thought about skateparks. In the summer of 2008, Spohn Ranch was proud to collaborate with the forward-thinking Daybreak community and local landscape architects, G. Brown to design and build the nation’s first skateable sculpture garden.

Throwing all notions of conventional skatepark design out the window, we developed a vision for a mixed-use public space with eye-catching skateable sculptures artfully set along a pair of winding pedestrian paths. Nestled in an unassuming housing development, this unnamed park is home to over a dozen integrated skateable art pieces, such as the “Ribbon” which was inspired by Park City’s 2002 Olympic ribbon sculpture.

By integrating skateable elements with the park’s landscaping, we’ve truly recreated every skater’s dream session of pushing through the natural terrain of the streets and hitting one obstacle after another. At the same time, this groundbreaking space also appeals to community members who are drawn to the park’s compelling shapes and aesthetic details. Several of the park’s elements are accented with integrated lighting, making the park perfect for a nighttime stroll."

As G. Brown describes this unique space, “As the park widens going westward, a quaint flagstone path meanders away from the main walk where sculptures built to handle active use are placed within colorful perennial gardens. People have the choice of engaging in play or enjoying the sculptures or observing the surrounding activities.”

All text from - http://www.spohnranch.com/