Taking Shape at Second Sky in South Tucson
In 2024, Charlie Ray, owner of The Green Room Landscape Architecture, attended an industry conference in Sweden. It was there that a serendipitous meeting with Niels Hofstee and Michael Vrijhof, founders of Netherlands-based nonprofit Office for the New Earth (ONE), led to an international partnership and the idea to develop a special project in Arizona. Inspired by the work and vision of Hofstee and Vrijhof, who have created therapeutic spaces for children at refugee camps in The Netherlands, Cyprus, and Greece, Ray offered to host the founders in his studio to jointly design a healing children’s play space for an Arizona nonprofit.
After an extensive vetting process of dozens of potential nonprofits, Tucson’s Second Sky was selected as the partner for the project. A community hub serving families in South Tucson with after-school programming, Second Sky had a 12,000-square-foot community center with a small café, two rooms for activities, and an acre of undeveloped land perfectly suited for a healing play space to serve the community.
“When we connected with Joseph at Second Sky, it was clear we had found our partner,” said Ray. “Second Sky had an undeveloped parcel that was a blank canvas for creating a nature-inspired social space that could bring a true resource to southeast Tucson. And equally important was the nonprofit’s mission to use the latest research in social and economic mobility to support vulnerable communities.”
Dubbed Oasis for the Senses, the project’s design, inspired by the desert landscaping at Ray’s childhood home, features playful rolling dunes with shade trees, water features, and fragrant shrubs and colorful flowers, creating a natural backdrop for play and exploration.
Vrijhof says that while most playgrounds are designed for stimulation, psychology actually shows that children benefit most from environments that provide 80% peace and calm, and 20% thrill.
“We envision a sensory garden where Tucson children can come together to rediscover peace and fascination, stillness and adventure… a botanical oasis reconnecting children with nature, and finally with themselves, so they can embrace a spirit of light and joy, and grow into the visionaries of tomorrow.”
Over the past several months, the Green Room team has donated their time, expertise, and studio space, and ONE has been working with Second Sky to actively fundraise for the project.
Second Sky Director Joseph O’Connell says thanks to generous donations from Arizona Wholesale Growers, KW Stone Group, Hunter, and Native Resources, plus monetary donations from the Rockstad Foundation and others, the project is on track for Phase One to be completed by late spring. Phases Two and Three will follow in late 2026 and early 2027.
With the site grading complete, and near-daily donations of mulch coming in from Tucson Electric Power, Oasis for the Senses is starting to take shape. Some of the trees, donated by Native Resources, have arrived on site and will be planted once the irrigation system is installed, with hundreds of trees, shrubs, ground covers and grasses still to come from Arizona Wholesale Growers.
The project team is currently seeking contributions for construction, irrigation, lighting, electricity, fencing, plantings, water features, soft and hardscape materials, along with monetary donations. Those interested in supporting the project can learn more at new-earth.one/oasisforthesenses
“Throughout the creation of this true oasis in the desert, we are continuing to serve hundreds of families every week,” said O’Connell. “Second Sky is thriving and growing, and we can’t wait to see Oasis for the Senses come to life!”
Second Sky is a community hub with an adventure playground, event space, food and beverage destination, family fitness and sports coaching, and STEAM support center for after-school and micro-school students. This initiative grew as the need for a creative social space in southeast Tucson and to support vulnerable communities following the latest research in social and economic mobility.
