As we enter the fall season, we are delighted to share that we have completed our work on the Dewitt Playground Renovation in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, and we are getting ready for its grand opening at the end of the month. This community-centered project reminds us why we practice design: to build places that foster connection, celebrate culture, and invite joy.
The city of Boston, via the Boston Arts Commission, invited artists and designers to apply to create permanent public artwork(s) to complement a renovation of Dewitt Playground in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Our contractor BRM Production Management helped us bring this project to life, while our partnership with Artist Marlon Forrester on the inclusion of permanent public artwork brought cultural narrative to the forefront of the project, with pieces that symbolize Black excellence and represent the history, present, and future of the community. Read more about this element of the project here.
Located at 2 Madison Park Court, the playground sits within the larger Madison Park Athletic Complex. The site is surrounded by a mix of recreational and community-serving uses: basketball courts, athletic fields, and the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School to the north, with nearby residential blocks and community facilities shaping the edges of the complex. Its placement within this active network of schools, housing, and sports amenities makes the playground a natural gathering point, reinforcing its role as a shared neighborhood space where recreation, education, and community life intersect.
In addition to its prime location, the Dewitt Playground project stands apart because it reimagines the role of a neighborhood park. Rather than simply updating existing amenities, the design embraces a holistic vision that welcomes people of all ages and abilities, across generations and cultures. From accessible ground-level play structures to shaded seating areas, the playground encourages interaction, dignity, and comfort for everyone who uses the space.
Dewitt’s overall redesign supports a diverse range of activities, blending athletics with wellness, play with learning, and recreation with reflection. Courts and workout stations sit alongside dramatic play areas and quiet gathering spots, ensuring the space nurtures both body and mind. Sustainable features, including solar- and wind-powered charging stations and thoughtfully designed shade structures, weave environmental resilience into the fabric of the park.
An important element of this project was community engagement, and the resulting design reflects community collaboration. From the outset, the project was shaped not only by the vision of the artist and architects but also by the lived experiences, ideas, and aspirations of Roxbury residents. The result is a playground that feels co-created, rooted in the identity of Roxbury, and built for the long-term.
This project also holds personal meaning to our designers, including Joshua Ssebuwufu. “The Dewitt Playground public art project was the first project I worked on when I joined Studio Luz Architects in 2021, and the evolution and development of this project have coincided with my own professional growth and personal journey,” he said. “It has been incredible to see it progress from sketches to drawings, to 3D models, and finally to the sculptures now standing on site. I hope the Madison Park community and beyond enjoy this art, and that it inspires younger folks just as much as it has inspired me throughout the process.”
Read more about the project here, and stay tuned for more details on the Dewitt Playground grand opening on September 28th.
Studio Luz Project Team: Hansy Better Barraza, Anthony Piermarini, Jae Hoon (Jason) Jang, Paul Dahlke, Joshua Ssebuwufu, Elise Zilius, Jichen Zhoum, Sarah Pumphrey
Collaborating Artist: Marlon Forrester
Contractor: BRM Production Management
Client: Boston Arts Commission, Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture
Fiscal Sponsor: BR+A+CE: Building Research + Architecture + Community Exchange, a 501(c)3 non-profit community organization co-founded by the Principals of Studio Luz Architects.
Photography Credit: Jane Messinger