photo by: Courtesy of Hillcrest PTO

An artist-rendered composition of the Ryan Gray playground with the added shade structures.

Right now, when the sun beats down on Hillcrest Elementary’s Ryan Gray Playground, there’s no shade where kids can rest. But a class of architecture students at the University of Kansas is going to change that this year — and do some playing of its own with shapes, light and shadows.

This fall, the class will be partnering with the Hillcrest PTO to build a shade structure over three picnic tables on the playground. PTO president Sabrina Kuksi said fundraising for the project was already underway, and that it was sorely needed because the playground has no trees or structures on it that provide shade.

“When our students come back in the fall, it’s still warm out,” Kuksi said, and the surfaces on the playground are sometimes “blazing hot.” That means it’s sometimes difficult to hold activities there during the middle of the day. And with new students arriving from recently closed Pinckney Elementary School next year, the project is more important than ever, Kuksi said.

“There’s going to be quite a few new students,” Kuksi said, estimating that number at about 130. “So this (project) will be even more of a need.”

It also fills a need for the class of about 15 architecture students, many of whom “have never swung a hammer,” according to their professor, Keith Van de Riet. They’ll be able to get real-world building experience and learn how to plan a project on a tight budget where “we can’t just buy our way out of problems.”

Though a rendering is included with the GoFundMe page for the project, the shade structure’s exact appearance isn’t set in stone yet. Van de Riet said his students would consider the overall aesthetics of the project, sustainability elements like the use of recycled materials, and input from stakeholders at Hillcrest.

“For the students, it’s an opportunity to learn how to create shape; and ideally, the shape has some design elements that go beyond just a shadow,” Van de Riet said. “Could it be filtered light, and will there be geometrical patterns on the ground as a result of the shadow? Or does the shade structure change with color and light over the course of the year?”

He also said the kids at Hillcrest would have the chance to share their thoughts.

“We plan to include the children as part of the stakeholders in this project,” he said.

The Ryan Gray Playground is named in memory of a former Hillcrest student with disabilities who formed a tight bond with the KU men’s basketball team and even appeared on TV during the 1988 national title game. In 2016, the playground underwent a $375,000 renovation that added accessibility improvements and was funded in part by the school district, but Kuksi said the upcoming shade structure project would be funded through private donations.

Kuksi said about $13,000 has already been raised for the project, and as of Saturday, the GoFundMe page for the project had raised more than $1,200 of the additional $10,000 it’s seeking. Van de Riet said a good goal for the project would probably be around $20,000 to $25,000.

Van de Riet said some engineers and manufacturers with ties to KU could also be involved in the project, donating materials — and, of course, he and the students will be providing their time and labor.

“If they were going to hire a firm and contractor to build something interesting design-wise, it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars — especially right now with supply chain issues and inflation,” he said. “It’s crazy how expensive it is to build something on the scale that we’re building this.”

People interested in making a donation can do so at the GoFundMe page or by requesting a separate document from Kuksi. Additionally, Kuksi said that donations for the project can be made directly to the district.