A man from Barbados decided that, when he died, he would give the children of his town a playground
Design and installation of public park playground equipment in Barbados, with KOMPAN robinia wood structures.
Of all the projects we take on at ACL Projects, some stay with you. Hastings Beach is one of them: a public park facing the sea in Barbados that exists because someone, upon passing away, wanted to leave something behind for the people of his town. Not a monument. A quality playground for the children.
How it started: a bequest with a name behind it
The commission reached us through a private architecture firm managing the project, but the origin is a personal story. A man from Barbados stipulated in his legacy that he wanted to donate a proper play space for children to his community — to the people of the beach, to the people of the town.
When a project starts like that, the responsibility feels different. You’re not fulfilling a tender specification: you’re fulfilling the last wish of someone who wanted the children of his town to have a good place to play.
What we did: a pirate ship facing the sea
The centrepiece of the park is a robinia wood pirate ship by KOMPAN, installed facing the sea and surrounded by complementary play equipment.
- Pirate ship in robinia wood, a hardwood particularly resistant to humidity, sun and the salt air of the Caribbean.
- Complementary play equipment covering different age groups.
- Certified equipment meeting the safety standards required by a heavily used public space.
All equipment meets the standards of IAAPA, of which we are official members.
The way we work
In a seafront public park, material choice isn’t a detail — it determines whether the park will still be standing in ten years. That’s why we chose robinia and KOMPAN equipment, built to withstand the Caribbean climate without constant maintenance. A donated park has to last.
The result: our first project in Barbados (and not the last)
Hastings Beach was the first project we delivered in Barbados, and we’re confident it won’t be the last. A pirate ship facing the sea is the kind of thing that becomes a landmark: striking, recognisable, and a genuine attraction for the island.
But above all, it’s the park a neighbour wanted to give his people. And building it has been an honour.
Need playground equipment for a public or municipal park?
At ACL Projects we design, supply and install playgrounds, water parks and outdoor fitness equipment for municipalities, public parks, schools, clubs, hotels and residential developments across the Caribbean. If you have a project in Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas or anywhere in the Caribbean, let’s talk.
