NBBJ and Flea of RHCP renovate playground in Los Angeles

American architecture studio NBBJ has collaborated with Michael Peter Balzary, aka Flea, the bassist of Red Hot Chili Peppers, on the renovation of Nickerson Gardens Playground in the Watts neighborhood, a public housing complex in Los Angeles.

The idea of the project came from Flea’s engagement with the Watts community during the pandemic, when he volunteered there, and NBBJ collaborated pro bono. The aim was to develop a space that would better serve Nickerson Gardens, the largest social housing project west of the Mississippi.

Flea drove the project by funding it and bringing together a team of community members, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), and designers. “We’re honored to be among the many organizations that came together to provide much-deserved recreational space for this historically underserved community,” said NBBJ managing partner Robert Mankin.

The project included the redevelopment of 17,656 square feet of playground space. For the play-specific surfaces in the activity areas, few used recycled material, easy to clean and repair. ESI Design, the New York experience design studio within NBBJ, created slides, swings, and a carousel for the children, provided by playground equipment company Kompan. The renovation includes also an adult exercise facility and misting poles and shade structures to face California’s high summer temperatures.