Outside the newly renovated Munroe-Meyer Institute is a playground where play is limitless.  The nearly 6,000 square foot space gives children living with disabilities an opportunity to play in a space created specifically for them. 

“The entire project has been incredibly rewarding because knowing what the end game is for the kids that have different disabilities, what we are doing for them is pretty incredible,” said MCL Superintendent Brent Holscher.  

Under brightly colored canopies that tent the playground is design, ingenuity, and craftsmanship that required specialized time and consideration.  MCL Construction and our design partners,Altus Architectural Studios and Olsson built an area where no child is held back from play. 

“We had to think about it from the very beginning,” said Holscher.  “How this was going to play out for the final project as far as access for the chairs and the fall zones.” 
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It started with grading.  Before any structure was set in place, MCL Construction made sure children in wheelchairs or crutches would be able to move freely on the playground and around the play area.  The curved surface specifically highlights potential fall areas where a minimum of three to five inches of rubber padding are placed. 

The structure itself is a lot wider than your neighborhood playground.  Nearly the entire playground is accessible by wheelchair.  A wide ramp gives children in wheelchairs easy access to the structure.  That same width is carried through the entire playground making movement from one bridge to another possible.  Off the physical structure is a swing set designed to fit two at once.  This would allow a child and anyone assisting him or her to ride with. 

More than structural improvements, different sensory areas are built into the playground.  A curved path that frames the playground is sectioned off into different areas.  Each section is filled with a different sand or pebble walking path providing a different texture to see, touch, and walk across.  

“They can feel on their shoes or on their feet with turf and then there is a rock road and a gravel road, just different crunches and noises they can get with that,” said Holscher. 

In addition to different textures, children can explore different sounds with instrument-style play equipment.  Right next to the swings, children can play 4.5-foot wind chimes.  Coming off the 10-foot neon orange slide is a set of bongo drums; these same drums are available for play near the wheelchair entrance. 
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Before any project, MCL educates itself on the needs of our clients and the purpose of the build.  The playground at Munroe-Meyer was built with the children in mind from start to finish.  

About MCL Construction
For many businesses, navigating the entire construction process and knowing who to trust can be overwhelming.  At MCL Construction, our people simplify the process by listening, planning, executing, and continuing the relationship to build their vision.

The Munroe Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center officially broke ground on its new location in Omaha, Nebraska.  The program will be relocating to 6902 Pine Street, a former First Data building and connected with UNO's Aksarben campus.
 
MCL Construction is building the project that is scheduled to be completed late next year.  Omaha design firm Altus Architectural Studios is the project architect.

CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS FROM THE MMI GROUNDBREAKING
 
Architects consulted with MMI clients and clinicians to create a plan for the building that enhances and simplifies the patient experience as well as offering an array of services not available elsewhere in the state.  Existing programs will be expanded and improved while new programs and collaborations will be provided.
 
Among the new amenities:

• An accessible and family-centric floor plan designed to simplify and enhance the patient’s clinical experience;
• A redesigned and integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (iCASD), under the leadership of a newly recruited, nationally recognized expert in autism, where MMI professionals will provide interdisciplinary care, pulling together the various services to enhance the patient experience;
• A one-bedroom “apartment,” where occupational therapists can help individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities learn and practice hands-on life skills;
• The Caring For Champions Program, a collaboration with Special Olympics that will provide sustained vision, dental, and weight management services; and
• A new aquatic center and playground for clients and youth will enhance the experience for youngsters who attend Camp Munroe.

 
2019 marks the beginning of MMI's second century of providing services for patients with developmental and intellectual disabilities; its new home will be the first of its kind in the nation, MMI Director Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D., said.
 
It will be uniquely designed to facilitate integrated care for the individuals and families with these disabilities and complex health care needs that MMI serves across the lifespan, Dr. Mirnics said.
 
“This new facility will not only allow us to provide state-of-the-art care, but it will enable us to recruit and retain top clinicians, educators, and researchers to Nebraska,” Dr. Mirnics said. “Building on 100 years of service, our vision is for a center that will provide an intimate, convenient care center for our patients while providing us with the talent and facilities to have a global impact in the areas of education and research into intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
 
MCL Construction is one of the leading healthcare builders in the Midwest and has completed several projects for UNMC.
 
"We are ready to make the vision a reality," said MCL Construction Senior Vice President Tony Fucinaro.  "This project is going to have a positive impact on so many people for years to come.  For MCL Construction to be a member of such a talented project team means a great deal to our team and our employees and speaks to the level of trust UNMC has in our approach to construction."
 
About MCL Construction:
MCL Construction is an Omaha, Nebraska, based Construction Manager and General Contractor. It builds relationships with business partners by using construction expertise with innovative building strategies to provide a collaborative building experience.