Last year Pucuda was hired to design and manufacture a climbing net playscape for a children’s science center in Canada. We like to be engaged in the early stages of projects, because we bring solutions to the table, before manufacturing starts. In this situation, Pucuda was a subcontractor to the project designer and the client wanted our input about design options, etc. We wound up playing a direct role in designing all the hardware for the project.
Initially, the dialogue had been about making a climbing structure, which would lead up to a netted platform. The initial concept design was for a rocket ship, with an entrance on the ground level, several interior climbing levels and an egress point at the netted platform level. After some consideration and discussion with the venue owner and project initiators, the decision was to make the netted structure a tornado. They wanted a free form structure that was more organic and represented something in the natural world. They also wanted a slide incorporated into the design. So we went back to drawing board.
The client wanted a vertical tube that echoed the shape of a tornado. The colors that they wanted, were blue, aqua, silver and purple. The challenge for Pucuda, was to create a climbing net constructed of bands of colors that would wrap upwards in a spiral, creating a tapered tunnel. We had to account not only for a shape which gets larger towards the top, but colored rope which needed to line up in a pattern.
Making a tube whose color’s spiral is a challenge, but when the form expands as it rises, a pattern needs to line up and accommodate spatial changes. A flat net wrapped in a tube wouldn’t work. The solution came through John Rexroad’s combination of geometry, design, and art. Using closely guarded company knowledge and techniques, Pucuda manufactured a tapered tornado with a multicolored pattern that conforms to changes in its shape.
With 30 years of experience designing artistic net systems for amusement parks, monuments and buildings, we knew we’d be beyond successful. The next hurdle to be tackled, was designing the armature which would support our climbing system using a single vertical pole. The system would use large circular rings, that would primarily be supported at the top with cables and then by the net itself.
When Pucuda designs a climbing net playscape, we usually also install the netting on location. This was one of the rare situations, where the client opted to do the installation work themselves. So we created a series of videos to teach installation techniques for the different sections of the climbing net structure. In this case, the central core of the netted platform and the tornado was made out of our patented Shrinking Net®. The rest of the netting was non-shrinking barrier netting.
Our Shrinking Net™ is one of our most popular products. It’s usually used as an inclined climbing net because it is highly resilient and provides a sturdy no-sagging climbing experience. Due to its’ patented design and materials, the netting tightens when water is applied: this results in a tight installation of the net — with no sagging. We produce our climbing net in many brilliant colors. Check out the brochures on our website for more information. Or better yet, call us up to design your structure!
Pucuda Leading Edge provides climbing netting, barrier netting and safety netting for amusement parks and waterparks all over the world.
