Community Projects
Our community has supported, encouraged, and inspired the evolution of Laidlaw Design Co. and we believe it is important to respond intern. While much of our work is focused on high end custom projects, this enables us to donate a portion of our time and resources to community oriented efforts. We cherish any opportunity to collaborate with community members and organizations to craft environments for all to enjoy– illustrating creative and inclusive solutions that celebrate social engagement.
Roots Dragon Chute
The Roots Forest School, located in McCall’s Ponderosa Park, is an outdoor school focused on child-led play and experiential learning. In 2022, the school commissioned an interactive play structure for their campus. The structure was to provide a scaffold for weaving branches, twigs, fabric and other materials to create a whimsical shelter for the students to play in during the winter months. It is also meant to have a delicate footprint on the forest floor. With this in mind, the structure is movable and it is crafted from steel tubing and woven steel flatbar– making a robust play feature, perfect for swinging and other types of mischief.
With a helping grant from the McCall-Donnelly Education Foundation, we were able to cover material expenses for the piece. We donated our design and fabrication time.
McCall Public Art - “Our Confluence” - Bench
This public art piece celebrates the junction of two iconic rivers: the Main Salmon and the South fork of the Salmon. It was commissioned by the City of McCall and installed in the summer of 2021 on 2nd Street. Click on the link below to see the full project.
Alpine Playhouse Commemorative Bench
The Alpine Playhouse is a small non-profit started in 1966 by locals looking to foster performing arts in McCall, Idaho. The small theatre– a former Catholic church built in 1916 – is a community cornerstone, supporting all things creative.
In 2020, the Alpine Playhouse and the Hofmann family commissioned an artistic bench to commemorate Ed Hofmann, a longtime patron and friend to the playhouse. We were thrilled to be involved in the project and to donate our design and fabrication time to create something special for the space.
The bench was inspired by some of Ed’s favorite things: red wine, classic cars, lions, Hemingway, and poetry. It is constructed of plasma cut steel and a donated stone slab.
The Little Ski Hill Donor Trees
The Little Ski Hill is tiny ski resort on the outskirts of McCall. It is 405 vertical feet and t-bar accessed. It was established in 1937 and has served as a local activity center since its inception. It offers many after school programs for kids and hosts an array of community events. Much of the Little Ski Hill’s operations are supported by donor contributions. In 2020, the organization asked us to envision a way of recognizing these donors in a fun and unexpected fashion. We created a plan to fabricate sculptural trees constructed of plasma cut steel and pipe. On each limb of the tree, an inscription or plaque would acknowledge the generosity of a particular donor. The trees may then be powder coated in fun colors, creating a forrest of Little Ski Hill patrons. The project is still under development.
