Tutorials: Landscaping Help Section

[Janna]

The house is a combination of a martial art studio (dojo?) and exercise area.  The downstairs has a bookshelf with various reading and skill books and some benches to sit and read and a sparring area for martial arts.
Upstairs has restrooms and showers with exercise equipment, training dummy and board breaker.  A witch was pratcing her magic there one evening. 

I don't know how to do basements yet, I need to learn as it would be a good place to put a fooseball table, stereo equipment for dancing and tv with video games system for indoor sims; they would like it while the outdoor ones would stay outside.   

[saltpastillen]

If I saw correctly from the pictures your house is built on a foundation. This complicates matters when it comes to adding a basement.

This tutorial by Lilygirl shows a work-around for this.

[Janna]

I gave up, or at least set aside the park for a while, I just can't get it to come out the way I want, especially after seeing the ones in the contest. 

I have created a new park, this one feels "right"; there is room for improvment, but no negative feelings as I have with the other park.  The main focus is on an adult area, for exercising mainly, but some play sections for family members.

It is in SV, and the lot size is 30 by 30.  Cost so far is close to $90,000  It is on the beach area, so you can see the ocean behind the  house. Expansion packs  needed will be WA, SN and SEA, also includes items from AS and MV.  No CC's definitely and for store items, as far as I know none.  I do know that there was some free downloads, but I don't think I used anything from there. 

First floor has a pool, restroom/shower rooms and at one end of the pool is the playpen (AS) and a toy box for toddlers.  I didn't expect for anyone to use it, but was surprised.  Also on that wall is a bookshelf, it has all the skill books, fishing books, and recipes for the seven special alchemy elixers. 
  At the stairs, you can see the fortune cookie machine.  Go  up the stairs and you will see the restrooms/showers, a section has some exercise machines, a tv and area to work out.  Set off on another side is the martial art area, a sparring area, two dummies for praticing and two board breakers. 
Outside is the family play area, with swings for young and old.  Battle stations for water balloons and snowball fights and a soccer area.  There is between the building and soccer section enough room for playing catch or tag.  Patio area is simple, just a fountain, bar, a fairy house, and tables to sit at.  The trees are money, apple, lime and pomogranate trees, some life fruit, flame fruit and two omini plants.  That is all. 

So, feedback will be greatly appreciated on any changes that will make it better.




This is the overview of the lot. I think of it as a combination of a gym and a park.



The second floor, exercise and martial art




First floor, pool, rest/shower rooms, playpen and lounge chairs.


 
Patio area, fountain, bar and fairy house




The fairy  house, my sim isn't a fairy, so I was glad to see that one was able to get in and out without a problem.



A different view of the patio area



It was evening when I took this photo, but I  think you can see a sim playing soccer.




Another view at the evening time, a couple of kids had been on the swings, some had been playing catch, and I  think one person had been using the soccer net for practice. 



This is the second time a toddler had been placed there, I was able to catch this one playing in the playpen.   I think he wants to be a scientist when he grows up.

I thought I had more photos of the pool, so I will add them later, but you can get an idea of what the gym park will be like.  Any suggestions will be apprecated.

[Swirl-Girl]

It doesn't feel very much like a teen place. And I can't decide if that is good or bad.
On the positive side, it seems much like the family sort of place, not a "cool" place. The sort of place they'd be dragged along to.
On the negative side, it seems like a teen could be bored out of their minds here.
Depends on what sort of ambiance you want, and what sort of teens you'll have. I very much enjoy the idea of having a big kids only basement. Black lights, Foosball, pool windows, (those teens can't be left completely to their own devices )gaming system, dance floor. Maybe more of a club sort of scene I guess.

Also, I have a bone to pick with the fence. What sort of fence will the non-WA players get pegged with?

[Janna]

When I was creating this new one, I was thinking more as an YA or adult place, go there and exercise, practice martial arts, have some fun in the sun aspect.  I've seen a lot of adults on swings, more than I have of kids.  In another park I had before I  had to reinstall, I had more senior citizens on the swings than kids, one wife died while her husband was pushing the swing.   
You might have a child, or baby (the reason for the playpen) but teens would be bored out of their minds in such a place.  Fortunately, teens would be able to take off and leave the parents to hang out with the other "old folks" and the babies/toddlers are too young to realize how boring the place is  . 
The first one I was trying to make would have been something for all age groups, but to do that adequately, I felt that a 60 x 60 lot is needed, and I don't have the expansion packs geared for that age group. 

This park's  focus is on a specific age group, around either singles, young couples, or the older ones whose children have grown and left home and can now relax and have fun with ones their age.   YA's are at the age to enjoy playing tag, catch me if you can and you will get a reward (PG, a kiss), kick a soccer ball around, swim, or work out.   
With an indoor pool, the YA's and older can swim and keep fit in the winter, meet with others of similar age and relax.    I don't have any of the expansion packs that have the games and such that would appeal to teens, no generation, ambitions, late night; so teens are out of luck no matter what. 
As for the fence, half of the second floor is WA, as I was also focusing on martial arts.  So, if a person doesn't have that, they then will have a lot that will need to be replaced.  From what I know, the programing will add a fence to replace the one that will be deleted due to not having that expansion pack. 

****************
Edited for mistakes and better clarify (I hope) what/who the park is for.

[Swirl-Girl]

okay then that all makes sense to me. The park looks great then considering who it is geared for.

[saltpastillen]

I also like the look of the park. Very clean lines and easy to see where different people would gather.

[Janna]

It had been a few days (sim days) and so I sent my sim and her new hubby to check out the park.  It was busy .  It was at the end of winter and there were snowmen, an igloo, and teens on swings even though it was cold.  Inside the pool was full off and on.  One time two kids (child stage) were in the pool with flippers on.  The couple who are insane (Harts?) were on the floor by the playpen playing with toys from the toybox.  Funny. 

Upstairs there were people at the tv watching it instead of exercising, but there were sims on the exercise machines working out.  And the Goth girl at one time was at the martial art dummy working on getting her belt, it would have been her first. 
I guess that is a sign of approval, LOL  to have so many sims at the Gym Park, even when it was 23 degrees (f) and a lot of snow on the ground.  I took some photos, wish I had gotten one of the two kids in flippers, along with the insane couple. 















It took me a second to realize that what was at the top of the picture was a person caught as they were diving. 

I'm definitely feeling more postive about this park.  It feels right -- very few plants, but my focus on this one was the aspect of a park, not a garden.

[Swirl-Girl]

Work it Cornelia! (that's her name right?)
Yes, the insane couple has approved of it! I think it is great!